abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Story

23 Jul 2018

NGOs accuse French companies of contributing to state repression in Egypt, mixed response from companies

In July 2018, a group of international, French, and Egyptian NGOs published a report accusing several French companies of profiting from Egypt's military crackdown on dissent. According to the report, these companies have "participated in the bloody Egyptian repression of the past five years by supplying Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s regime with military and surveillance equipment." Dassault Aviation,Manurhin, MBDA, Naval Group, Safran, and Arquus (part of Volvo) have reportedly supplied Egypt with a range of military aircraft, warships, armoured vehicles, missles, drones, and ammunition production machines. Other companies including Airbus, Ercom, IDEMIA, and Thales have allegedly provided technology capable of implementing mass surveillance on an unprecedented scale. 

Rights groups also claim that these companies have disregarded the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council 2013 decision to suspend exports of any equipment that could be used for domestic repression in Egypt.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Ercom, IDEMIA, Manurhin, MBDA, Naval Group, Safran, Thales, and Volvo. Only Airbus, IDEMIA, Thales, and Volvo provided responses (available below).

Company Responses

Airbus View Response
Dassault Aviation

No Response

Ercom

No Response

IDEMIA (formerly Morpho) View Response
Manurhin (part of Chapuis Armes - Manurhin)

No Response

MBDA

No Response

Naval One (now Naval Group)

No Response

Safran

No Response

Thales View Response
Volvo Group View Response

Timeline