Key ministers including finance, defense and interior have been replaced in Egypt as a new cabinet was sworn in on Thursday in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s major reshuffle after winning a second term in office.
Mohamed Ahmed Zaki was named as minister of defense, replacing Sedki Sobhi in a new cabinet that marks the broadest shake up in Egypt’s government since Sisi first took office in 2014. Sobhi has overseen Egypt’s efforts to quash an Islamist militant insurgency in the Sinai peninsula that has seen scores of security forces killed in recent years.
Magdi Abdel Ghaffar’s position as minister of interior has been taken by Mahmoud Tawfik. Ghaffar has held the position since 2015.
Mohamed Maait, deputy finance minister in the outgoing cabinet, was promoted to minister, replacing Amr El Garhy, who has helped to lead economic reforms tied to Egypt’s three-year $12 billion IMF loan program.
Other key changes include Amr Adl Bayoumi appointed minister of trade and Ezz el-Din Abu-Steit to minister of agriculture.
Sisi won 97 percent of the vote in a landslide re-election victory, with a turnout of 41 percent, beating his sole rival Moussa Mostafa Moussa.
Sisi was first elected in 2014, also with 97 percent, with a 47-percent turnout in the election.
