Egypt appeals to keep US-led forces in Sinai
Cairo is working to persuade the Biden administration to keep the US-led Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt is trying to persuade the Biden administration to keep the US-led Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Peninsula near the border with Israel even as the United States reduces its military presence in the Middle East.
The United States seems to be focusing its priorities and resources on East Asia to face the mounting challenges presented by China. After previous administrations had tried to reduce US military expenditures in the Middle East, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan shows that the Biden administration is actively reshaping foreign policy.
The MFO was established in 1982 with US support to supervise the demilitarization in the Sinai Peninsula under the peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979. The MFO currently includes more than 1,000 soldiers of different nationalities, including Australia, Canada and France. US forces make up 40%.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that his country and Israel "find great value" in maintaining the MFO as is. He added that the MFO's presence has a symbolic and legal value, considering it an essential element of the peace agreement signed between his country and Israel.
