'We Thought We Were Very Poor': Egyptians Protest a $4.5B Arms Deal With France

In a Facebook post on the official page for the Egyptian military spokesperson, Egypt has announced signing a new deal with France to buy 30 new Rafale fighter jets, sparking mixed reactions amongst Egyptian commentators.

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The Facebook post justified the deal with the French Dassault Aviation that the deal shows the interest of the country's leadership to develop "state factors," explaining that the Rafale fighters have "high combat capabilities that include the ability to carry out long-range tasks, as well as their possession of an advanced armament system, high maneuverability, and the multiplicity of their weapons systems, in addition to their distinction with an advanced electronic warfare system."

Even though the military spokesperson's social media post did not provide details related to the deal's cost, it emphasized that the deal includes a financing loan plan of 10 years. However, Reuters revealed that a report by the Egyptian Defense Ministry disclosed that the deal is worth near $4.5 billion USD.

In response to the news, many Egyptians took to social media to question the country's decision, saying that Egypt already has 24 Rafale aircrafts and that its military, not being involved in an ongoing war, does not need a total of 54 Rafales.

Translation: "Imagine that Egypt is buying Rafale aircrafts from France for 4 billion euros, according to French media! This huge some of money could have gone into building schools, hospitals, or to renovate the railway infrastructure. It is as if they are deliberately trying to harm Egypt."

Moreover, some social media users questioned the government's priorities at a time Egyptians are suffering increasing economic strains due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the $4.5 billion could have supported the economy or purchased vaccines instead.

Translation: "Egypt is buying billions-worth of aircrafts. Poor Egyptians"

Meanwhile, other online voices questioned the French decision to sell the aircrafts, saying that France should take the Egyptian government's record of human rights into account before agreeing to strengthen the military regime in Egypt, to which French officials responded by saying that France "doesn't wish to undermine the country's abilities in fighting terrorism."