Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi has sworn in a new government comprising new defence and foreign ministers despite regional turmoil and domestic economic challenges.
Egypt, with an estimated 9 million refugees and migrants, has been hard hit by the fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in the neighbouring Gaza Strip and Sudan’s civil war.
Lieutenant-General Abdel-Maguid Saqr was appointed as defence minister, replacing General Mohammed Zaky, while veteran foreign minister Sameh Shoukry has been replaced by an ex-ambassador to Germany, Badr Abdel-Atty.
A televised swearing-in ceremony also showed newcomers to the portfolios of finance, oil, electricity, industry, housing, education, tourism, culture, justice and local development.
The new government is led by Mustafa Madbouly, who has served as Egypt’s prime minister since 2018.
