Egypt Apprehensive Over Islamist Win in Syria

Cairo backed Assad until the 11th hour, and worries what impact his ouster might have

The Islamist takeover of Syria has left Egypt apprehensive and cautiously calibrating future ties, years after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power by toppling the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt backed ousted president Bashar al-Assad until the 11th hour, and with the Islamists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham now in control in Syria, it worries what impact the change might have.

"For Egypt, this creates, of course, apprehension, especially given the Brotherhood's history in the country," said Ms Merissa Khurma, director of the Middle East Programme at the Wilson Centre think-tank in Washington.

Several other Arab states moved swiftly to engage with the new authorities in Damascus, but Cairo has exercised greater caution.

Having declared Egypt's support for Mr Assad just three days before his ouster, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty waited three weeks before calling his new Syrian counterpart and urging the de facto authorities to practise "inclusivity".

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani confirmed the call had taken place, and said that the two countries shared a role in "achieving stability and prosperity for the region".

On Jan 4, an Egyptian aid plane touched down at Damascus' airport carrying Cairo's first humanitarian aid delivery since Mr Assad's ousting, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

In the days following the overthrow of Mr Assad, Mr Sisi's comments were non-committal.