Egypt on the Brink: Sisi’s Struggle Against Rising Opposition Amid Growing Revolutionary Tensions
With the anniversary of January 25 looming, Sisi's regime faces widespread protests, arrests, and the fear of a new revolution inspired by the legacy of Syria’s uprising.
Watan-The Sisi regime is experiencing an unprecedented state of confusion since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, amid a widespread campaign of arrests and intensified security measures against activists and opponents.
The Syrian revolution and its repercussions have become a terrifying nightmare for the Sisi regime, especially as the Egyptian street is on the brink of revolutionary explosion, with the anniversary of January 25 approaching, which overthrew Mubarak more than a decade ago.
In recent days, Egyptian security forces launched a widespread arrest campaign, targeting Ahmed Abu Zeid, the engineer and famous content creator, who was arrested and forcibly disappeared for three days before being charged with “inciting violence and terrorism” and “possessing foreign currency and trafficking in it.”
In fact, the money seized by the security forces was his legitimate earnings from his educational YouTube channel, but it seems that his success and fame disturbed the regime, especially since he was a candidate for the “$1 million” award at the Billion Followers Summit.
A few days after Abu Zeid’s arrest, security forces arrested Egyptian activist Ahmed Alam, known on TikTok as “Rivaldo,” after he posted videos criticizing the Sisi regime and its economic policies. Rivaldo’s arrest was part of an escalating crackdown on influential voices on social media, with the regime treating any criticism or dissenting opinion as an existential threat.
Sisi’s fear of a new revolution has led his media and security apparatus to escalate the demonization campaign against activists, accusing them of terrorism in an attempt to intimidate the Egyptian street and abort any potential popular movement. In this context, journalist Ahmed Moussa led the incitement campaign against opponents, promoting the narrative of a “conspiracy against the state,” a story the regime has often used to justify repression.
What heightens Sisi’s fear is the influence of external opposition, led by Egyptian activist Ahmed Mansour, who broadcasted videos from Syria calling for the overthrow of the Egyptian regime by forming the “Revolutionaries of January 25 Movement.” This call caused the security apparatus to be put on high alert, as they strive to suppress any attempt to organize mass protests, coinciding with the anniversary of the Egyptian revolution.
In this tense scene, the question remains: Will the regime succeed in quelling popular anger? Or is Egypt on the verge of another popular revolution that could overthrow Sisi, just as Mubarak was overthrown before?
