Egypt's Sisi-friendly media attacks Ahmed al-Mansour as protest fears grow

When Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, stressed in a recent interview that “revolution is effective for overthrowing a regime, but not for building a state”, his sentiments were welcomed by Syrians.

Many have noted the pragmatic approach the former rebel has taken since ousting Bashar al-Assad’s government last month.

Syrian social media saw his latest comments, broadcast by YouTuber Joe Hattab on his channel with 6 million followers, as part of this positive trend and a constructive way to approach rebuilding Syria after five decades of Assad rule.

Egypt’s government-controlled media couldn’t have had a more different response.

One of the most prominent Egyptian commentators taking aim at Sharaa was Ahmed Moussa, a staunch supporter of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. On his show on Sadda Al Balad TV, he described Sharaa’s comments as a “complete disaster”.

Moussa argued that Sharaa was acknowledging that revolutions do not build a state, instead “destroying countries, displacing millions and spreading chaos”.

This, he claimed, is the ultimate goal of any popular revolution.

Moussa's remarks highlight the Egyptian authorities’ deep concerns over popular movements in the region and beyond since taking power in a counter-revolution in 2013.

Particularly troubling for them are calls for action from Egyptians abroad, such as Ahmed al-Mansour, a fighter in Syria.

Mansour moved to Syria in 2013 to join the rebel factions battling Assad’s government. He was a member of Sharaa’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which he surprisingly resigned from last month.

After Assad fled Syria amid a shock HTS-led rebel offensive, Mansour began calling for demonstrations against Sisi, saying they should be held on 25 January, the anniversary of the 2011 popular revolution that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Recently, he posted a photo on X featuring himself with masked men, a handgun and a single bullet, alongside the old Egyptian flag dating from the monarchy and the words “25 January Revolutionaries Movement” behind him.

Mansour’s incendiary post was viewed more than 7 million times in two days, drawing both support and condemnation.

It also sparked a debate among sympathisers: should calls for action be focused on 25 January? Can change come through armed opposition? And who would be involved in such a struggle?

Media campaign

Within hours of Mansour’s post he was being attacked by an Egyptian media campaign. Moussa labelled the post a threat to national security.

Amr Adeeb, another Sisi supporter with Saudi citizenship, addressed Sharaa, asking whether Syria approved Mansour’s actions and if he would jeopardise relations with Egypt to protect him.

Others have similarly demanded Mansour be handed over for trial like Hisham Ashmawy, a dissident army officer who was arrested in Libya in 2019, returned to Egypt and executed.

Another prominent Sisi supporter in the media, Nashat al-Dehee, said Egypt will not tolerate threats coming from Syria.

The anniversary of the 2011 revolution is an anxious time for the Egyptian authorities.

Sisi took power in 2013 by removing Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, in a coup, placing the country back into the hands of the military.

Since then, Sisi has characterised the 2011 demonstrations as chaotic and damaging, accusing them of being the primary reason for the decline in Egypt’s foreign exchange reserves.

He has also argued that the protests contributed to Ethiopia's construction of the Renaissance Dam, imperilling Egypt’s water supplies, and posed a direct threat to Egyptian national security.

In September 2019, corruption allegations made by Spain-based whistleblower Mohamed Ali sparked anti-Sisi protests across Egypt.

Now calls for protests are being made from revolutionary Syria, at a time when Egypt's government is struggling with significant economic and security challenges, along with increasing public discontent.

Saleem Azouz, a Qatar-based Egyptian journalist critical of Sisi, wrote on Facebook that he opposed armed struggle in Egypt but urged the government to address Mansour’s initiative wisely.

He also said that media attacks on Sharaa would not benefit Egypt or harm Syria.

Crackdown

As usual, Egyptian authorities have heightened repressive measures ahead of the revolution’s anniversary, monitoring social media, making random arrests and conducting extensive inspections to prevent potential demonstrations.

The latest example is Mohamed Ahmed Allam, a young Egyptian man known as Rivaldo with a satirical TikTok account that has over 2 million followers. Recently, he has published videos criticising Sisi’s government and its approach to handling dissent.

In November 2022, the Egyptian police raided his family's home to arrest his brother, though they arrested Rivaldo instead. He remained in prison until May 2023.

A few days ago, Rivaldo criticised the Egyptian police, calling them “stupid” and accusing Sisi of dictatorship. The next day, he was arrested for allegedly inciting chaos and spreading false information. 

'To survive in Egypt, you must fail'

- Elswesi, TikTok influencer

The ONTV channel, linked to the General Intelligence Service, reported on his arrest using crude language, labelling him “a thug who thought himself the bravest man on the planet”.

Meanwhile, renowned YouTuber Ahmed Abu Zeid has disappeared. Reports suggest he has been arrested and is facing trial for currency trading.

With more than 8 million followers on his educational channel, Abu Zeid, a former engineer, has become a prominent figure in the Middle East. His success allowed him to participate in the 1 Billion Followers Summit, despite the social media content creators event being held by Egypt ally the UAE.

A source familiar with the case told Middle East Eye that Abu Zeid was arrested five days ago after withdrawing a large sum of money, which raised suspicions at the central bank. He is being detained for 15 days while investigations are conducted, the source said.

Abu Zeid’s disappearance has prompted concern on TikTok, with people expressing solidarity as well as anger towards the authorities for the crackdown.

Among them was a TikTok account named Elswesi, which has more than 6 million followers and addressed Abu Zeid’s arrest by saying: "To survive in Egypt, you must fail."