The Role of Bureaucratic Politics in Egypt’s Africa Policies under Mubarak. Part Two

Abstract

The decision-making process in Egypt during the rule of President Hosni Mubarak was dominated by the president and a very small core group comprised mainly of advisers whom he appointed and dismissed. Towards the end of his rule, Mubarak was no longer capable of resuming his duties effectively. Therefore, several issues were left to be handled by the relevant ministry. It became possible for some parts of the bureaucracy to make a significant impact on foreign policy, particularly on topics not of interest to the ruling elite. The Nile Waters issue is one of the most important manifestations of the dynamics of Egypt’s foreign policy decisionmaking process under Mubarak at this stage. The analysis explores the role of institutions in water policy making, aiming to draw attention to the dominant role of the Ministry of Water Resources during the Cooperative Framework Agreement talks compared to other institutions, such as the foreign ministry. Also it examines the phenomenon of ‘bureaucratic rivalry’ that prevailed at that time, while demonstrating that the Egyptian delegation faced great difficulties during the talks. Thus, the argument remains that the bureaucratic institution, despite its subordinate role, is partly responsible for Egypt’s foreign policy unhappy ending under Mubarak.