Amr Moussa
Encyclopedia
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egypt
ian politician
and diplomat
who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League
, a 22-member forum representing Arab states
, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election
.
, Egypt
. He finished his education after earning a degree in law
from Cairo University
in 1957.
. Between 1958 and 1972 he worked in several Egyptian missions including Egypt’s Embassy in Switzerland
and the Egyptian mission to the United Nations
. From 1974 to 1977 he was an advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt. From 1977 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1990, he was the Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. From 1981 to 1983, Moussa was the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations
in New York, then from 1983 to 1986 Ambassador to India
. In 1990, he was promoted Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations
.
Atef Sedki
on 20 May 1991. He was minister until 15 May 2001 when he was elected as Secretary General of Arab League
.
allege that Moussa's appointment to the Office of Secretary-General of the Arab League was motivated by Mubarak's desire to remove him from the public spotlight.
On 2003, he became a member of the United Nations High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change for International Peace and Security
On 2009, he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Holy See
and met with Pope Benedict XVI in order to strengthen joint projects and to promote peace and dialogue on a cultural and political level.
On 13 June 2010, Moussa visited Gaza
in a move to pressure Israel to lift its economic blockade over Hamas-ruled Gaza. The visit by Moussa was the first by an official of the Arab League since the election of Hamas in 2007. Immediately after the Gaza flotilla raid
, Moussa said the Arab League would go to the UN Security Council to demand the blockade be lifted. On 15 May 2011, Nabil el-Araby elected as Secretary General of Arab League and succeed Moussa in June 1, 2011.
(1975-1990), and for this he is criticized for taking a strong anti-Christian position. After serving as Egypt's Foreign Minister from 1991 to 2001, he served as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Moussa has been an extremely popular political figure in Egypt due to his criticism of Israeli policies towards Gaza and the West Bank. At the Forum for New Diplomacy in February 2010, Moussa gave a speech in which he criticized the U.S. government's double standard supporting Israel's nuclear weapons policy but not allowing Iran to pursue nuclear energy. He also criticized Western countries, including the U.S. for not recognizing the results of the 2006 Palestinian elections that brought Hamas into power. Like El-Baradei and the Muslim Brotherhood, he supports opening the Gaza Strip/Egypt border (Seale, 2010). His criticisms have made Moussa extremely popular. Many political commentators said the Mubarak sent him to work for the Arab League in 2001 so as not to compete as a presidential candidate in the 2005 Presidential elections because of his popularity. Amr Moussa announced that he would be running as a presidential candidate on March 1, 2011.
also apply to Gamal Mubarak
, son of the Egypt
ian President Hosni Mubarak
. He also expressed appreciation "for the confidence expressed by many people when they talk about his candidacy for the presidency and that the message reached him.".
Moussa held talks with Mohamed Elbaradei after his return to Egypt. Many speculate that this meeting was held to discuss Constitutional reforms that will allow transparency in the election process as well as lifting restrictions on independent candidates. On January, 26, 2011 at the Annual Horasis
meeting in Zurich
, Moussa shared strong views on the need for economic and political reforms in Egypt, and made it clear that he was considering a run.
On February 1, 2011, following the announcement by President Hosni Mubarak that he would not stand in the upcoming Presidential elections, Moussa told CNN that he would seriously think about standing himself as a candidate in the next few weeks. On the February 8 broadcast of Al Jazeera
English's Empire, well-connected American journalist Seymour Hersh
stated that Moussa was considered America's favored "Plan B" should Mubarak resign, "whether he knows it or not." On February 11, 2011 Al Jazeera English Online read from a Reuters report that stated Moussa was resigning from his position with the Arab League; on the day that President Mubarak resigned from the Egyptian presidency this furthered rumours he might make a strong bid for president when elections are announced in Egypt. On February 12, 2011 the Egyptian daily newspaper Alwafd reported that a group of Egyptian youth met with Moussa to discuss a possible nomination for the Egyptian presidential election. Moussa reportedly agreed to the nomination, but stated that he would await the currently proposed constitutional reforms in Egypt.
A poll conducted during the 2011 protests asking "who do you think should be the next President of Egypt?" showed Moussa in the lead, with 26% of respondents naming him.
Although credited with shaking up the Arab League’s bureaucracy, Moussa has been criticized by former and current staff members of the Arab League for his management of the organization. In his book, The League of the Arab States: what’s left of it, former Arab League and Syrian diplomat Kawkab Najib El-Rayess accused Moussa of favoritism and promoting his loyalists into the high ranks of the Arab League at the expense of the more-qualified diplomats.
Articles
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Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
, a 22-member forum representing Arab states
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election
Egyptian presidential election, 2011
A presidential election is expected to be held in Egypt in March or April 2012. It will be the second even remotely competitive presidential election in Egypt's history, following the 2005 election and presidential confirmation referendums in 1999, 1993, and earlier...
.
Early life
He was born on 3 October 1936 in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He finished his education after earning a degree in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
in 1957.
Diplomatic career
Moussa then began his diplomatic careerDiplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. Between 1958 and 1972 he worked in several Egyptian missions including Egypt’s Embassy in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the Egyptian mission to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. From 1974 to 1977 he was an advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt. From 1977 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1990, he was the Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. From 1981 to 1983, Moussa was the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York, then from 1983 to 1986 Ambassador to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1990, he was promoted Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Appointment as foreign minister
He was named Minister of Foreign Affairs by Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Egypt
The Prime Minister of Egypt is the head of the Egyptian government. According to the constitution, the prime minister is the leader of the largest political party in the Egyptian Parliament....
Atef Sedki
Atef Sedki
Atef Muhammad Naguib Sedki was the Prime Minister of Egypt from 1986 until 1996. He replaced Ali Mahmoud Lutfi on November 10, 1986.-Biography:...
on 20 May 1991. He was minister until 15 May 2001 when he was elected as Secretary General of Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
.
Secretary-General of the Arab League
On 15 May 2001, Moussa was selected as Secretary General of the League of Arab States and took office on 1 June 2001. Critics of the Egyptian president Hosni MubarakHosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
allege that Moussa's appointment to the Office of Secretary-General of the Arab League was motivated by Mubarak's desire to remove him from the public spotlight.
On 2003, he became a member of the United Nations High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change for International Peace and Security
On 2009, he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and met with Pope Benedict XVI in order to strengthen joint projects and to promote peace and dialogue on a cultural and political level.
On 13 June 2010, Moussa visited Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
in a move to pressure Israel to lift its economic blockade over Hamas-ruled Gaza. The visit by Moussa was the first by an official of the Arab League since the election of Hamas in 2007. Immediately after the Gaza flotilla raid
Gaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Moussa said the Arab League would go to the UN Security Council to demand the blockade be lifted. On 15 May 2011, Nabil el-Araby elected as Secretary General of Arab League and succeed Moussa in June 1, 2011.
Foreign relations
Moussa has been heavily involved with Egypt's foreign policy since 1958. He has been Egypt's Ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Switzerland for a total of 21 years. Moussa was among the many Arab and international diplomats who tried to resolve the Lebanon WarLebanon War
The term Lebanon War can refer to any of the following wars, fought in Lebanon:*Lebanese Civil War *Hundred Days' War 1978 *1982 Lebanon War...
(1975-1990), and for this he is criticized for taking a strong anti-Christian position. After serving as Egypt's Foreign Minister from 1991 to 2001, he served as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Moussa has been an extremely popular political figure in Egypt due to his criticism of Israeli policies towards Gaza and the West Bank. At the Forum for New Diplomacy in February 2010, Moussa gave a speech in which he criticized the U.S. government's double standard supporting Israel's nuclear weapons policy but not allowing Iran to pursue nuclear energy. He also criticized Western countries, including the U.S. for not recognizing the results of the 2006 Palestinian elections that brought Hamas into power. Like El-Baradei and the Muslim Brotherhood, he supports opening the Gaza Strip/Egypt border (Seale, 2010). His criticisms have made Moussa extremely popular. Many political commentators said the Mubarak sent him to work for the Arab League in 2001 so as not to compete as a presidential candidate in the 2005 Presidential elections because of his popularity. Amr Moussa announced that he would be running as a presidential candidate on March 1, 2011.
2005 presidential election
In 2004 an online community gathered tens of thousands of signatures petitioning for Moussa to run in the 2005 elections, but there was no response. In a Doha Debate Forum televised by the BBC in 2006, Moussa was asked about his Presidential hopes. Moussa merely replied that he hoped to continue the recent run of successes that have occurred under his leadership at the Arab League until the end of his term.2011 presidential election
When asked about rumours that he might run for Presidency in 2011, Moussa did not deny his intention to run for office or rule it out, leaving the door open to speculations. He argued that "It's the right of every citizen that has the capacity and efficiency to aspire to any political office that would allow him to contribute to the service of his nation". He further stated to the press that the qualities required to be the President of EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
also apply to Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
, son of the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
. He also expressed appreciation "for the confidence expressed by many people when they talk about his candidacy for the presidency and that the message reached him.".
Moussa held talks with Mohamed Elbaradei after his return to Egypt. Many speculate that this meeting was held to discuss Constitutional reforms that will allow transparency in the election process as well as lifting restrictions on independent candidates. On January, 26, 2011 at the Annual Horasis
Horasis
Horasis is an independent think tank based in Zurich, Switzerland, which was established in 2005 by Frank-Jürgen Richter, its Chairman. Its stated mission is to "enact visions for a sustainable future" through new platforms for cooperation and knowledge-sharing, particularly between developed...
meeting in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Moussa shared strong views on the need for economic and political reforms in Egypt, and made it clear that he was considering a run.
On February 1, 2011, following the announcement by President Hosni Mubarak that he would not stand in the upcoming Presidential elections, Moussa told CNN that he would seriously think about standing himself as a candidate in the next few weeks. On the February 8 broadcast of Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
English's Empire, well-connected American journalist Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
stated that Moussa was considered America's favored "Plan B" should Mubarak resign, "whether he knows it or not." On February 11, 2011 Al Jazeera English Online read from a Reuters report that stated Moussa was resigning from his position with the Arab League; on the day that President Mubarak resigned from the Egyptian presidency this furthered rumours he might make a strong bid for president when elections are announced in Egypt. On February 12, 2011 the Egyptian daily newspaper Alwafd reported that a group of Egyptian youth met with Moussa to discuss a possible nomination for the Egyptian presidential election. Moussa reportedly agreed to the nomination, but stated that he would await the currently proposed constitutional reforms in Egypt.
A poll conducted during the 2011 protests asking "who do you think should be the next President of Egypt?" showed Moussa in the lead, with 26% of respondents naming him.
Criticisms
Awards
- 2001 Grand Cordon of the Nile, Egypt
- 2001 The Two Niles, First Class, Sudan
External links
- Secretary-General at League of Arab States (Arabic)
- Profile: Amr Moussa at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 23 January 2002
Articles
- Profile at Medea, April 2010 (French)
- Arab League leader says nations shouldn't fear revolts, Leila Fadel, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, February 15, 2011 - Diplomat seen as a solid leader, but too old to be Egypt's president, Timothy M. Phelps, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, February 17, 2011 - Amr Moussa launches presidential campaign, Dina Ezzat, Ahram Online, 9 March 2011
- Moussa sharply criticized during first campaign trail speech, staff, Al-Masry Al-Youm, 9 March 2011
- Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, Jason Burke, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 21 March 2011, profile
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