Egypt has close ties with North Korea, and the US doesn't like it

The United States stopped hundreds of millions in aid to Egypt last week, citing concerns about human rights. But as some experts have pointed out, there may be more to this decision below the surface. 

As tensions with North Korea rise, the U.S. is taking a hardline stance against countries who maintain close ties with the East Asian nation - countries such as Egypt.

Close ties between Egypt and North Korea go back to the Cold War era when both nations were part of the international non-aligned movement and showed solidarity with the Soviet Union, according to The Diplomat. Today, Cairo remains one of Pyongyang's leading trade partners in the region, with the two governments maintaining strong economic and security ties.

Heather Nauert, an official spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said her country had communicated to Egypt the "necessity" of isolating North Korea, in response to questions regarding the recent aid cut.

"Any country that has diplomatic relations with North Korea should be aware that its relations are contributing effectively in facilitating the arrival of finance to the nuclear projects that are being conducted by North Korea," Nauert said during a press conference.

According to the New York Times, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has made isolating North Korea a primary objective and has pressured world leaders in nearly all his meetings to cut ties with Pyongyang.

Despite changing governments and policies, Egypt's relationship with North Korea has remained strong for decades. 

"North Korean pilots trained Egyptian fighter pilots before the 1973 war with Israel, and Egypt was later accused of supplying Scud missiles to North Korea," Daniel Leone of the Project on Middle East Democracy told the New York Times.

Throughout President Hosni Mubarak's decades' long governance, Egypt refused to enforce United Nations' sanctions against North Korea. Following in his predecessor's footsteps, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has continued to ignore sanctions.

Egypt's Port Said remains a critical trans-shipment point for North Korean arms exports to Africa, while Cairo has shown increased interest in Pyongyang's military and nuclear technology. The U.S. and Russia both oppose Egyptian ambitions to become a nuclear power, leaving the country to search out other options.

Many hailed and criticized Sisi's seemingly close relationship with Trump, following the U.S. president's inauguration. 

"I just want to let everybody know, in case there was any doubt, that we are very much behind President al-Sisi," Trump said in April. "He’s done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation. We are very much behind Egypt and the people of Egypt."

Due to such lavish praise, many were surprised by the announcement of the aid cut. Trump previously seemed unconcerned by human rights violations, suggesting that Sisi's methods of cracking down on dissent were necessary and justified.

Whether the seeming about-face is related to increased tensions with North Korea, a sudden change of heart regarding Egypt's human rights record or a combination of both remains somewhat unclear. Regardless, Egypt will need to consider making some serious changes if it expects to receive the previously promised $290 million in U.S. aid.