Trump to host Egypt's el-Sisi at White House for 2nd time

Washington, April 8 (IANS) US President Donald Trump is set to welcome his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Tuesday for the second time at the White House, the media reported.Egyptian officials are hailing the meeting, which came at the invitation of the US administration, as a high mark for a new era of relations between the two countries, CNN reported.The meeting on Tuesday will focus on building the "robust military, economic and counterterrorism cooperation" between Washington and Cairo, the White House said on Sunday.The two leaders are expected to talk about the fight against the Islamic State terror group in the Sinai Peninsula and a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to Egypt's state-run Ahram daily.But it comes amid human rights groups accusing the Egyptian regime of carrying out widespread and systematic torture of political prisoners, silencing dissidents and using death sentences to settle scores. Sisi's government has vehemently denied the allegations.Rights groups have continue to raise Cairo's dismal human rights record as an issue that US Congressmen should take into account when officials meet Sisi. Amnesty International along with Egyptians Abroad For Democracy Worldwide have been working for the last year in a joint effort to lobby the US Congress to "oppose the death penalty in Egypt and to improve human rights", according to official documents.
--IANS ksk