Country Report on Terrorism 2023 - Chapter 1 - Egypt

Overview:  Egypt continued to experience a significant decrease in terrorist activity in 2023, compared with previous years, and is committed to countering terrorism (CT) and violent extremism (CVE).  Egyptian forces maintained a significant presence in North Sinai, including in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, though they have transitioned their decade-long CT campaign away from large operations in heavily populated areas to limited operations and airstrikes in less-populated areas.  Egypt continued social development programs in North Sinai, where a significantly degraded ISIL-Sinai Province (ISIS-SP), formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM), managed to conduct less than 10 attacks in 2023, most of which targeted security forces. Local media and government announcements spotlighted economic development efforts to showcase government investments in education, public infrastructure, and land dispute resolution tied to development projects as longer-term solutions to deter “extremism.” In this period, the Sinai Peninsula was less violent than any time in the past decade.  Accurate numbers for civilian, military, and terrorist casualties during the course of the conflict remain elusive because of security constraints in North Sinai and limited press, social media, and government reporting.  Egypt has committed a sizable budget to rebuild North Sinai following years of counterterrorism operations.  The Egyptian government has passed laws giving the government special powers in North Sinai where CT operations are focused. Human rights groups and international NGOs reported that the government continued to use terrorism-related charges to prosecute individuals for what appeared to constitute protected expression and non-violent activism.

The United States continued to support Egypt’s efforts to combat ISIL-SP by sustaining and providing counter-IED training, mobile sensor towers, and mine-resistant and ambush-protected vehicles, as well as training programs on special operations CT, air-to-ground integration, and border security.  The United States routinely engages in bilateral discussions regarding strategies to defeat ISIL-SP and other terrorist groups in Egypt, including by mitigating the risk of civilian harm and encouraging credible investigation into any allegations of human rights violations and abuses.

2023 Terrorist Incidents:  Based on government press releases, social media, and other local reporting, opportunistic attacks constituted the majority of terrorist attacks.  Most occurred in North Sinai and involved IEDs and small arms, resulting in fewer than five casualties.  ISIL-SP conducted fewer than 10 attacks in 2023, most of which targeted security forces.

• In May, a local rights group reported that an explosive device left by ISIL-SP killed a 10-year-old boy and wounded two other youths in the Tuffaha area of western Sinai.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security:  There were no significant changes to terrorism laws in 2023.  The Egyptian government demonstrated strong capacity to proactively detect, deter, and prevent terrorist attacks in its territory and had specific plans and capabilities to prevent and respond to attacks against public places and critical infrastructure.  Human rights groups and international NGOs reported that the military and law enforcement continued to use CT authorities to prosecute activists, political figures, and critics.

At border crossings and airports, Egyptian authorities continued to authenticate travel documents, conduct checks on individuals, and share derogatory information among border authorities for further action.  Egypt maintains terrorist watchlists with detailed information maintained by the security services for, among others, immigration officials at the ports of entry; these lists include human rights activists, lawyers, and journalists.  Individuals are placed on the terrorism list for five years by court order, subject to appeal.  Human rights groups criticize the government’s use of travel restrictions, asset freezes, and professional disqualifications, such as lawyers’ disbarment.

The United States assisted Egypt’s CT efforts by providing training, equipment, and other assistance to the country’s law enforcement and armed forces.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism:  Egypt is a member of the Middle East North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), and its Financial Intelligence Unit, the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit, is a member of the Egmont Group.

In 2023 the United Arab Emirates and Egypt signed an MOU to strengthen cooperation in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.  The MOU aims to improve risk understanding and the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in anti-money laundering and countering of the financing of terrorism.

Countering Violent Extremism:  CVE remains an ongoing emphasis of the Egyptian government.  The Ministries of Endowments and Education underscored its ongoing efforts to demonstrate the threat of “extremist ideology” and promote youth programs and curricula on respect and moderation.  Al-Azhar, a global leader in Sunni theology and learning, maintains an Observatory for Combating Extremism; its team of analysts – working in 13 different languages – combs websites, social media feeds, and online comments sections to find and debunk propaganda from ISIL-SP and other violent extremist groups (as well as examples of Islamophobic rhetoric) with the stated aim of introducing “the correct and true image of the teachings of Islam.”

International and Regional Cooperation:  Egypt is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and is a co-chair, along with the EU, of the Global Counterterrorism Forum.  The country hosts a counterterrorism center in Cairo for the regional community of Sahel-Saharan states.  Egypt is also a party to numerous international, Arab, and African CT cooperation agreements and protocols.