US waives human rights condition for $320 million in aid to Egypt — Daily Maverick
In the United States, the State Department waived the human rights certification requirement for $320 million in military aid to Egypt in fiscal year 2025. The decision was made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. As Daily Maverick reports, the exception was confirmed by the US State Department.
Reference to security interests
A letter to congressional committees dated September 21 states that Rubio exempted Egypt from the certification requirement for $320 million under the Foreign Military Financing program. An accompanying memorandum says the funds are needed for counterterrorism, border security, nonproliferation programs, or are otherwise important to US national security.
A September 4 memorandum signed by Rubio also mentions Egypt’s “useful role” after the start of Operation Epic Fury. This is what the US military calls the campaign against Iran, which the United States launched together with Israel at the end of February. The State Department did not specify what exactly Cairo’s role was.
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Long-standing aid program
Egypt has received substantial US support since signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Since the late 1980s, Washington has provided Cairo with about $1.3 billion in military aid annually. Part of these funds is conditional on compliance with requirements related to human rights and democracy, but these conditions can be waived for national security reasons.
Under the administration of former US President Joe Biden, Washington repeatedly withheld part of the military aid because of the human rights situation in Egypt. In 2024, the Biden administration for the first time fully allocated $1.3 billion to Egypt, waiving the relevant conditions. Human rights organizations have long accused the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of widespread human rights violations, including torture and enforced disappearances. Egyptian authorities say they are taking steps to improve the situation.
