Egypt’s Strict Regulations on Aid Groups

On Monday, president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt enacted a law that imposes strict new regulations on aid groups, stoking fears that his government intends to accelerate its harsh crackdown on human rights activists before a presidential election scheduled for next year. The law was approved in November but Sisi was hesitant to sign it as the USA said that if the law were signed they would restrict American aid to the region, but recently Mr. Sisi has appeared emboldened by a burgeoning friendship with President Trump, who has hailed the Egyptian strongman as a “fantastic guy” and indicated that he did not intend to allow human rights issues to sour their relationship.