Egyptian Parliament authorises military support for Riyadh against Houthis
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Africanews
Egypt’s Parliament authorised President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. The approval could allow Cairo to become more directly involved in regional tensions, according to Egyptian state media.
Egypt’s Parliament authorised President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi on Monday to take “the necessary measures” to provide military support to Saudi Arabia in response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, according to Egyptian state media. The vote by the House of Representatives opens the possibility of more direct Egyptian involvement in regional tensions between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Riyadh.
Attacks in the Red Sea and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime route near the Suez Canal, have heightened regional concerns. Egypt had already taken part in the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015, mainly with naval assets and about 800 soldiers deployed on the ground, state media report.
The vote follows Abdel Fattah al-Sissi’s request to Parliament on 17 October, then the postponement of the debate to 26 October. Egypt had announced that its support would be defensive and linked to a request from Riyadh, according to titles previously published on the procedure. Since the 1991 Gulf War, Cairo had not committed significant ground forces to an overseas military operation.
