Sisi receives Draft Protocol for Joint Arab Force

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has received the draft protocol to form a joint Arab military force, a presidential statement said Saturday.

Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil El-Araby and Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazy met with al-Sisi to discuss the proposed protocol.

The draft protocol is expected to be presented next to the Joint Defence Council of the Arab League.

According to the presidential statement, al-Sisi said the draft was a result of joint Arab efforts intended to combat common challenges and particularly terrorist organisations. He added that this force is for “defence” and not attack, saying it is not formed to be against any faction.

In May, Arab army chiefs-of-staff met and agreed to form a joint Arab military force as was proposed during an Arab League summit in March.

Chiefs-of-staff and army officials from 20 Arab countries attended that meeting, while Algeria, who was not supportive of the force in the March summit, was represented by its Arab League delegate. Syria’s seat remained empty.

The joint force is intended to combat security threats to the Arab region, particularly emanating from “terrorist organisations,” as stipulated in the summit’s resolution.

Days before the March summit and the joint-forces decision, several Arab countries joined a coalition led by Saudi Arabia who launched airstrikes against positions of Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Source: Ahram Online