Egyptian National Security and the Perils of Egyptian–Libyan Border Management: Military Strength versus International Assistance

Mona Farag, Zayed University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Contemporary Arab Affairs

Publication Date

3-1-2020

Abstract

In this post-9/11 age, marked by international terrorism, militant non-state actors have created a world of insecurity, challenging international borders by constructing numerous national security issues. These international demarcation lines have been upheld by international conventions and treaties that have been established over the past decades. However, the fluid movement of people and goods, specifically jihadi militants and weapons, through borders in recent years has created both national and transnational security concerns. Nowhere is this problem more relevant than in the Middle East, and more so at the Libyan–Egyptian border. This research paper assesses the current security and policy problems of the Egyptian–Libyan border from Egypt’s national security perspective and the movement of ISIS militants across this border, which inevitably impacts Egypt’s Eastern border in the Sinai Peninsula. The present actions of international assistance of the United Nations and European Union member states are discussed regarding their negotiation initiatives in Libya. Egypt’s alternative approach is discussed, whereby it is taking charge, whether multi- or unilaterally, of the security predicament by effectively policing this porous border. In effect, this paper analyzes Egypt’s insistence on implementing its traditional notions of security, thereby ensuring it remains in a position of power.

ISSN

1755-0920

Publisher

University of California Press

Volume

13

First Page

23

Last Page

45

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Scopus ID

85113181223

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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