1. Summary: The wife of Egypt’s president Abdelfattah Sisi has become known to everyone who deals with him as “the woman behind the throne”. Strong and dedicated, Entesar has been serving as Sisi’s confidant and the matriarch of the Sisi family. Intelligent, fearless and strong, Entesar will not stop at anything to achieve her ambition of turning her family into a dynasty to rule Egypt for generations. Nonetheless, Entesar’s tactics and grip over her husband and the Egyptian state have provoked many top tier Egyptian generals and mostly senior intelligence officers.
2. Despite the macho façade exhibited by Egypt’s president Abdelfattah Sisi, it has become known across his inner circle that his boss is his wife, Entesar. JaFaJ intelligence sources have confirmed that Entesar controls most of her husband’s decisions on state affairs, and even has input into foreign matters. Described as “intelligent”, “cunning”, “soft-spoken” and “totally not interested in showing off”, Entesar’s approach to politics is ruthless and rather violent – she believes in eradicating rivals and keeping potential competition to her reign under surveillance. Through her son, Mahmud, she has been keeping anyone she suspects under strict surveillance by Egyptian security agencies.
The Woman Behind the Throne
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3. A source from the Egyptian military intelligence described Entasar as “the de facto leader of this country”. Having worked directly with her and her husband, he said “She is strong and fearless, unlike Sisi who is weak and could easily be spooked”. For example, the source claimed that Entesar encouraged Sisi to sign the death sentence documents issued by Egyptian courts against young men who were arrested in 2013 protesting Sisi’s takeover. The source added that “They were kids, one of them was just 17 at the time of his arrest, while the rest were all under 20. We advised the President to award them life sentences, but Entesar resisted and would not budge. She pushed him into ratifying the sentences”.
4. A Western intelligence source reported to JaFaJ that “Entesar was the woman behind the throne”. The source added that “She micromanages her husband and eldest son’s actions”. The source continued by adding “She is the last person to whisper in Mahmud’s ears, and Mahmud sees his father as unintelligent and rightfully so.” The source explained, “Sisi is not competent and without his wife, he may have not lasted for so long”. [COMMENT: Mahmud Sisi is the president’s eldest son. His military career was fast tracked by his father who is considered the de facto president of the country by many. He now serves as the Deputy Director of the country’s fearsome General Intelligence Department. For more on this, Click Here to read the JaFaJ Report about Mahmud Sisi’s grip on power in Egypt. END COMMENT]
Fearless, Yet in the Shadows
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5. Entesar is very charming, witty, disciplined and ambitious. Unlike the wives of several Arab dictators, she chooses to remain in the shadows, making few public appearances and presenting herself as a loyal, Hijab wearing housewife. She has never given a TV interview, despite the temptation. This has proven to be a very wise move, as the wives of Arab rulers have a history of provoking their people with showy interviews and opulent dresses. Recent examples include the wives of Jordan’s king and the deposed president of Tunisia.
6. Entesar’s courage and resilience have become her main strengths. The largest test of her resilience came in 2019 when Egyptian military contractor, Mohammad Ali, fled the nation, went into exile and took social media by storm exposing what he described as the corruption of Sisi’s family and calling Entsar out as the mastermind behind it. While Sisi was heading to the United States to speak at the United Nations and then meet President Trump, anti-Sisi protests filled the streets in response. JaFaJ can confirm that President Sisi was so worried about the protests, that he told his wife that he didn’t want to return to Egypt, and discussed with her the possibility of flying the entire family to refuge in an Arab Gulf country instead. Despite his persistence, Enteasr insisted that he return to Egypt and refused to leave Egypt. A week after, she was proven right – the protests died down quickly upon his return.
7. COMMENT: Despite Entesar’s effort to remain invisible, President Sisi’s inner circle, as well as the nation’s top army officers, have acknowledged that “she is the one in charge”. One of the many terms used to mock Sisi within his inner circle is “Zwej Elsit”. This translates into the phrase: “The lady’s husband”, and this is an Egyptian term used to describe weak men who are controlled by their wives.
A Lady with Big Ambitions and Mystical Obsession(s)
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8. The 65 year old first lady of Egypt is very ambitious. Not only has she been the driving force behind her husband’s consolidation of power in Egypt, but she has also had monarchist aspirations for the Sisi family. A very well-connected and informed American source who has had close proximity to the Sisi family reported the following to JaFaJ: “The lady wants her family to rule Egypt forever and she has instilled this thought in her children and grandchildren”. The source added, “Her son Mahmud is her tool to achieve the dream of the family controlling Egypt for generations”.
9. Despite her intelligence, intellect and discipline, Entesar’s lust for power has extended into the world of magic. Obsessed with black magic and metaphysics, Entesar has surrounded herself with magicians, and sorcerers. An Egyptian asset reported to JaFaJ that “She has recruited the best black magic sorcerers in Egypt and has brought magicians to the palace from African nations and other countries.” They added that, “one guy who works for her had been relocated here from Italy and claims that he has ties to the Pope, can connect her to dead prophets and saints, and do miracles for her family that will keep them in power for eternity”. He explained, “She has become obsessed and has used the magicians to influence Western and Arab leaders and to protect her family from assassinations. She believes that she sees visions of herself for the future, and has forced her husband to act on some of the visions, in one case forcing him to fire a senior army general because a clairvoyant told her the general was a threat to her husband”.
The Army Establishment Has Had Enough with Entesar
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10. Entesar’s total power over her husband has put her on a constant and direct collision course with the army establishment which has been ruling Egypt since 1952. Army and intelligence officers feel marginalized by Sisi and bullied by his son Mahmud as both constantly ignore the advice given to them. Additionally, Entesar is the “last person to whisper in the ears of both”. Further, the army and intelligence establishment are concerned that the Sisis’ arrogance and ignorance, combined with Entesar’s obsession with power, could bring the regime down under its weight. A Western military official in contact with the Egyptian military establishment reported to JaFaJ that army officials have already complained to him about “the destructive and obstructive roles Mahmud and Entesar are playing, and requested that he pass their complaints on to the proper authorities”.
Conclusion
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11. Egypt is a vital and strategic part of the world thanks to it being the gateway to Africa from the Asian continent. As such, the nation’s politics impacts the region economically, politically and socially. With Entesar Sisi being the power behind the modern day Egyptian throne, obsessed with ensuring that her family becomes a modern day Pharaonic dynasty, one has to recall that a similar unhealthy obsession with power contributed to the demise of former President Mubarak, a scenario Entesar seems destined to repeat. The Sisi family’s popularity has evaporated even within their inner circle and Entesar’s ambitions and arrogance do not seem to end any time soon. With the army establishment fed up and scared for its future, Egypt’s political future may be determined from her history of military coups.