Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
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| Supreme Council of the Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Egypt (variant).svg: F l a n k e r from original Flag of Egypt.svg / der · Public domain · source | |
| Name | Supreme Council of the Armed Forces |
| Formation | 1952 (original form), reactivated 2011 |
| Type | Military council |
| Headquarters | Cairo |
| Region served | Egypt |
| Leader title | Chairman |
| Leader name | Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (notable) |
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is a high-level collective body of senior Egyptian Armed Forces (Egypt) commanders that has periodically assumed national leadership roles during transitions involving the Free Officers Movement, the 1952 Egyptian revolution, the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and other crises. It is composed of senior officers from the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force, and Egyptian Air Defense Forces and has shaped politics through declarations, governance, and security operations. The council’s interventions have linked it to successive presidencies such as those of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, Mohamed Morsi, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
History
The origins trace to the post-1952 Egyptian revolution era when the Free Officers Movement consolidated power, influencing the 1953 abolition of the Monarchy of Egypt and Sudan and the proclamation of the Republic of Egypt. During the Suez Crisis period and the United Arab Republic negotiations with Syria, military councils directed defense and statecraft. Under Gamal Abdel Nasser, the council intersected with policies linked to the Non-Aligned Movement and the Baghdad Pact tensions; during Anwar Sadat the military played roles in the Yom Kippur War and the subsequent Egypt–Israel peace treaty negotiations. The council reappeared as a governing body after the 2011 ouster of Hosni Mubarak and again influenced the 2013 removal of Mohamed Morsi, amid alliances and tensions involving the Muslim Brotherhood, the National Democratic Party, and protest movements like the Tamarod movement. Notable chairmen included Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and senior officers such as Sami Hafez Anan and Magdy Hatata.
Structure and Membership
Membership typically includes chiefs and commanders drawn from the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force, Egyptian Air Defense Forces, and heads of service branches such as the General Intelligence Directorate (Egypt), the Ministry of Defense (Egypt), and the Central Security Forces. Ranks represented have ranged from Field Marshal to Lieutenant General and Major General. The chairmanship has often been held by figures with ties to military academies such as the Egyptian Military Academy and training links with foreign institutions like the Soviet military academies, the United States Military Academy, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The council convenes at headquarters in Cairo with strategic coordination involving commands based in Alexandria, Suez, and Sinai Peninsula garrisons. Membership lists during transitions included officers implicated in policy decisions linked to Camp David Accords personnel and veterans of conflicts like the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
Roles and Powers
The council asserts authority over national defense, emergency governance, and transitional leadership, exercising powers that interact with constitutional instruments such as the Egyptian Constitution of 1971, the Egyptian Constitution of 2012, and the Egyptian Constitution of 2014. It has supervised transfers of executive authority, oversight of state institutions including the Supreme Constitutional Court (Egypt), and coordination with ministries like the Ministry of Interior (Egypt). During periods of direct rule it issued decrees, supervised elections involving bodies such as the High Electoral Commission (Egypt), and engaged in appointments affecting the Cabinet of Egypt and legislative structures like the People's Assembly and the Shura Council. The council’s legal basis has been justified via emergency laws such as the state of emergency statutes and military codes influenced by doctrines from institutions like the NATO partner militaries and the Arab League collective security context.
Major Actions and Interventions
In 1952–1954 the council’s precursors facilitated the abolition of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and installed leaders including Gamal Abdel Nasser and Muhammad Naguib. During the Suez Crisis and the Tripartite Aggression the council coordinated defense and diplomacy with allies and adversaries including the United Kingdom, France, and Israel. After the 2011 uprisings the council dissolved or supervised bodies such as the Supreme Constitutional Court and managed the 2011–2012 transition, overseeing referendums and parliamentary elections contested by parties like the Freedom and Justice Party (Egypt), Al-Wasat Party, and Wafd Party. In 2013 it removed President Mohamed Morsi after mass protests and aligned with figures from the Tamarod movement and civil society actors such as Khaled Ali and Mohamed ElBaradei in a fraught handover that led to the 2014 rise of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The council has also led counterinsurgency and security operations in areas affected by groups such as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis and coordinated border security with neighboring states including Israel, Sudan, and Libya.
Political and Public Impact
The council’s interventions reshaped party dynamics involving the National Democratic Party, the Freedom and Justice Party (Egypt), and secular currents like the April 6 Youth Movement. Public reactions have ranged from broad popular support in protests against leaders like Hosni Mubarak to protests criticizing military trials of civilians and human rights concerns voiced by organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The council’s governance periods affected economic policy choices involving agencies like the Egyptian Exchange, IMF negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and infrastructure projects such as the Suez Canal expansion. Cultural and intellectual figures including Naguib Mahfouz and activists such as Asmaa Mahfouz have commented on the political climate shaped by military stewardship.
International Relations and Legal Status
International responses have involved states and organizations including the United States, European Union, Russia, and regional bodies like the Arab League; diplomatic ties shifted during transitions, affecting military aid, sales from suppliers like United States Department of Defense partners and arms vendors such as Rosoboronexport. Legal debates engaged bodies like the International Criminal Court and international human rights mechanisms, while bilateral agreements such as the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty required coordination between military leadership and diplomats including envoys from United Nations missions. The council’s actions have prompted statements from leaders like Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, and regional figures such as King Abdullah II of Jordan and King Salman of Saudi Arabia concerning legitimacy, stability, and security cooperation.