'In a league of his own'

By Dina Ezzat
With less than three months before Foreign Minister Amr Moussa becomes Arab League secretary-general, three questions beg answers: the future role of the Arab League, which has long lain dormant; the future of the Foreign Ministry, which has been alternately praised and vilified for the past decade; and the national and Arab role of Moussa the politician who placed his imprint on Egypt's foreign policy during 10 years in office and who, in recent weeks, has inspired a popular song that made LE4 million.
Local and Arab reactions to last Thursday's announcement of Moussa's nomination to this senior post shed light on attempts to assess his future and that of the institutions he is leaving and joining.
In the Arab world, there was a sense of relief that Cairo, having insisted on maintaining an undisputed right to the post, had nominated a seasoned diplomat and "not just any minister" to fill the vacancy that will be created when the current secretary-general ends his second five-year term in mid-May after several Arab capitals refused to renew his mandate. On the front pages of the Arab world's leading newspapers, Moussa was hailed as the "dynamic Arab diplomat... most capable of reviving the Arab League" at a time when "the Arab world is faced with major challenges now that Ariel Sharon is Israel's prime minister and the Iraqi file demands serious decisions."
Perhaps the highest level of Arab satisfaction with Moussa's nomination was recorded when Yemen decided to withdraw its candidate. Other Arab capitals who were planning to put forth high-calibre diplomats and officials conceded that Moussa is the best for the job -- even as some were contesting Egypt's right to monopolise the post.
In Egypt there was a sense of shock. "Shock," indeed, was the front page headline of Al-Arabi, the Nasserist Party newspaper, which presented what it described as opinion on the Arab street: why remove Moussa from the Foreign Ministry when he has done so well and has not been in office as long as other cabinet ministers, and at a time when Egypt is set to face serious foreign policy challenges with Sharon at the helm in Israel?
Speculation was rife among Egyptians about the reason for the move. Some argued that it is important for a leading Arab country to keep a post it could have lost had it not nominated "someone of Moussa's calibre." Others felt the League is not as important as the Foreign Ministry, and that Egypt's best interest lay in keeping Moussa where he is. Others yet subscribed to conspiracy theories, arguing that Moussa was being "removed because the Americans and Israelis dislike his pro-Arab stance." Many, however, were simply confused. These included Shaaban Abdel-Rehim, whose song "I Hate Israel (and I Love Amr Moussa)" has reportedly occasioned serious cases of Moussa jealousy. "If this move is good, then my song could be the reason for it. If not, then my song had nothing to do with it," the singer, hedging his bets, told Mohamed El-Assyouti. But one thing is certain: neither Rehim nor his lyricist Islam Khalil seem to have any intention of referring to Moussa in any future songs.
Writers like Al-Ahram's Salama Ahmed Salama and Al-Akhbar's Ahmed Ragab struck the most optimistic note, arguing that Moussa was a "gift" from Egypt to the League. There was also a sense of hope in a better future for the Arab League.
It is at the Foreign Ministry that the news of Moussa's move to the Arab League, no matter how expected, has caused a sense of confusion and even sadness. Although he is not a popular boss (his subordinates complain he is "too strict on working hours and performance and too restrained with financial benefits"), Moussa is as highly respected by his employees as he is by ordinary Egyptians. This is particularly true among those diplomats or administrators who worked closely with him. "In a league of his own" is the way his aides, especially the younger generation, refer to him. In the words of one close colleague: "There are other good diplomats who could come and take up the job and try and do something with it, but to be perfectly honest, none of the ministry's best ambassadors could do as good a job as Moussa. He is not just a diplomat; he is a politician with a vision."
Today, the ministry is very concerned about who will take Moussa's place. "We know very well what is going to happen to the League; it will be re-invigorated and will have more of a say in current Arab affairs, including the central issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We don't know what is going to happen to us," commented one diplomat. Wild suppositions aside, informed sources agree that only President Hosni Mubarak himself knows exactly what he wants to do with the ministry.
Moussa's move, however, will affect more than just the future role of this key ministry; its implications for Egypt's foreign policy are far more wide-ranging. His success in upgrading the ministry's role in decision-making circles -- particularly on key issues like the Arab-Israeli peace process, Arab relations and Egypt-US relations -- is recognised unanimously. "When Moussa was sworn in as foreign minister in May 1991, Egypt's foreign policy was set for a change toward more balanced relations," commented one ambassador. Today, with Sharon at the head of the Israeli government, and the new US administration's interest in Middle East peace-making waning, Egypt seems to be considering a more discreet role.
"Less involvement is not a bad idea, but we hope Moussa's move to the Arab League does not mean Egypt will adopt a more compromising line on the basis of narrow national concerns like avoiding confrontation with Israel," commented one Syrian diplomat.
Both the foreign ministry and the Arab League seem to agree that foreign policy will be making more room for Arab relations. As one senior diplomat put it: "Moussa will make sure that this is the trend in all key Arab capitals. He will make sure that the League is more respected by the Arab foreign ministries and more involved in key Arab issues." He added: "Throughout his career, even as a new attaché, Moussa was a diplomat who performs best when he is challenged. And the League is a big challenge. Just give him a year."
As for the next secretary-general of the Arab League, he is not saying much. "I am grateful for the nomination," Moussa allowed. However, he added that he will not talk before the nomination is officially approved by Arab heads of state at the summit scheduled to take place in Amman at the end of next month.
Recommend this page
Related stories:
Arab leadership 15 - 21 February 2001
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Send a letter to the Editor