(5 Jan 2025) With Assad’s fall, and Syria now being an ally of Turkey and the second head of the Leopard established, what are the two remaining heads doing? Here, we will look briefly at Egypt. We look at Egypt because, as the Signpost interpretation says, Egypt will be one of the four heads of the Leopard of Daniel 7.

Egypt continues to be ruled by its secular military, led by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Al-Sisi and the military have been in power since 2013.

The military was actually in power for many decades up until June 2012. The military came under pressure by 2012 to hold free elections. The Islamist Mohammad Morsi was elected president, and then the military took power back in a coup in July 2013 when it was seen that Egypt was going down the path to be an Islamist-ruled nation.

Secular governments have been replaced by Islamist ones in Turkey, Libya, Iran, and most recently, Syria.

Egypt seems to be headed in the same direction.

This article points to the Egyptian economy being on life support. Due to reduction in Suez canal fees due to the Houthis, and reductions in tourism due to Covid and terrorism, the Egyptian economy is on the edge of insolvency:

“Despair abounds. Fear is palpable. The sense that the country is collapsing before the eyes of Egyptians is pervasive. And there is no hint at all that Sisi or the government are reassessing this path to destruction.

Today’s anger is of a different feel than at any point in Egypt’s recent past. This does not necessarily mean there will be mass mobilisation, but popular anger will reach a point that will spill into the streets and which will be met with brutal, deadly repression. But without any other recourse, the situation will become unpredictable.”

I believe we will see a repeat of 2011-2012, that is, we will likely see violence and riots that will overwhelm the Egyptian military’s ability to keep the peace. When the people become completely desperate, there will be another attempt to create a new government which will likely be Islamist.

As an additional commentary states,

“As [2024] comes to an end, the most populous Arab country remains a stagnant mammoth with a slowly rotting political order, lacking domestic legitimacy and kept alive only by a continuous lifeline of cash from the West and Arab Gulf states who fear the repercussions of the Egyptian regime’s implosion.”

The Second Signpost itself could be the triggering event. Egypt imports 150,000 barrels of oil per day, with about 650,000 barrels produced domestically. Oil provides 40 percent of Egypt’s total energy needs which includes electrical generation, and transportation.

If Iran turns off the Mideast spigot, Egypt’s oil supply will be cut by about 20 percent. That may be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Rolling black outs and much more expensive gasoline would result.

Summary

For now the secular military rules Egypt as it has for many decades. That could easily change in the near future, with the result being an Islamist government taking over.

Egypt would then become an ally of Turkey, and another head of the Leopard for the Third Signpost would be established.

Categories: Signpost #3: Four Nations

Tags: al-Sisi, Egypt, four-headed leopard, Syria, Third Signpost, Turkey