“Support for dialogue and negotiated conflict resolution in the Middle East is vital to us all”, he said.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday on security and the Sinai plane crash, as concerns mount it could have been caused by a bomb.
“Under Sisi’s rule, Egyptians have witnessed unprecedented levels of oppression”.
Andrew Smith, of Campaign Against Arms Trade, said the UK Government had suspended 49 military licences following the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi’s democratically elected government in 2013, only for 24 of the suspensions to be lifted a year later. One had “freedom” written on his back and another “human rights”.
Chronic insecurity, with armed groups battling to control its energy resources and two governments vying for power, has made Libya a key launching point for people smugglers feeding Europe’s migrant crisis by sending boatloads of people across the Mediterranean.
Protests in the area started on Wednesday (November 4). “This is a matter of right and wrong”. “President Sisi is ruling with an iron fist. What about the millions of young people who want a job and education?”
His words were echoed by Lindsey German, whose left-wing credentials as a member of the Stop the War coalition make her an unlikely ally for Oborne.
“We want to carry out the will of the Egyptian people”, he said.
More than 50 lawmakers have signed a motion calling for the visit to be canceled. Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters were shot dead by Mr Sisi’s security forces during demonstrations after the coup and hundreds more have been sentenced to death in mass trials.
“There are many people in the entourage and others who’ve come who don’t benefit from immunity, including military persons, security persons”.
But the United Kingdom government is having none of it.
He said it was impossible to know for certain whether a terrorist brought down the Russian plane that crashed over the Sinai but said he was right to act in the way he did because the intelligence and judgement from the security agencies suggested that was a “more likely-than-not” outcome.
Mr Cameron and President Sisi will hold talks in No 10 over combating terrorism in Egypt, bringing stability to Libya and “other issues of mutual interest”.
The Egyptian leader earlier arrived at Downing Street by vehicle via the neighbouring Foreign Office, thereby avoiding protesters gathered opposite the gates of Number 10.
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The visit is meant to focus on advancing political and economic co-operation. Thousands of political detainees are behind bars, and human rights activists say the measures enshrine a permanent state of emergency in Egypt.
