US To Place Conditions On Fraction Of Aid To Egypt

The United States will withhold $130m in security assistance to Egypt this year, releasing the funds only if the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ends the prosecution of rights and civil society organisations.<br />US media reports that Washington also demanded the release of 16 American prisoners in return for aid.<br />The decision by the US State Department is to make good on its promise to have a human rights-leading foreign policy and to curtail a portion of the $1.3bn in security aid the US annually provides to Egypt, a country it considers a key ally in the Middle East and North Africa.