'All Quiet In Cairo'

President Sisi of Egypt was wearing sunglasses on the front page of the papers today as he welcomed the President of Sudan for a two day visit. Amongst all the other dignitaries in shot, Sisi was the only one to be sporting shades. Wasn't it Gadaffi who used to hide behind sunglasses? I seem to recall that quite a lot of dictators have had a penchant for them, including Spain's Franco.

Beside Sisi, the Sudanese President supported himself on a walking stick; his crutch, no doubt, in the face of the indictment of the International Criminal Court of The Hague where he is wanted for genocide. What's that about being known by the company you keep? And let it be noted that there was a guard of honour laid on.

Their talks are centred on new bilateral trade deals which will, no doubt, help fund the new Range Rover Sports and latest model Mercedes C-Classes that I have been clocking around the Cairo block these days, and also ganging up on poor old Ethiopia which is building the mother of all great damns across the Nile away to the south and potentially putting the very life blood of Egypt and Sudan at risk.

Elsewhere in this new quiet panorama of Egypt, at least three students lie critically ill in hospital, and a further 150-odd are behind bars without charge after the latest security swoops.

Amnesty International is on the case condemning the private security firms who have been hired by the government to enforce the general no association law on campuses. They appear to be shooting tear gas canisters and shotgun pellets willy-nilly not only within the grounds (including that of the British University) but also inside the classrooms where the students have taken refuge. A friend of one of the gravely ill students described how he saw his eye ripped out and cheek shredded.

Another student who was arrested several months ago but still not charged, has started a hunger strike. He is reported as saying, 'At first, I was worried about missing my first year of Uni. Now, I'm worried about ever attending school again.' So much for improving education.

You may also recall a more famous detainee who hasn't seen the light of day since he was arrested 474 days ago on 3rd July 2013, namely, President Mursi. A trial of his (one of four) has just been postponed again until 29th October. One 'jewel' of the Scottish legal system is that no one can be remanded for more than 110 days before being brought to trial. But what does anyone care in this new quiet Egypt that basic human rights are being run over roughshod as long as the strong man in charge keeps them safe from the (imagined and/or inflated) enemy within and without.

Certainly not our cleaning lady who was all smiles to see me again today and was giving Sisi the biggest of licks. As did the jewellery shop owner who, last night, quietly and knowingly said to us on the pavement outside his shop, 'Don't worry, things are getting back to normal.', which raises the question of which standard is being used to gauge 'normality'. It ain't anything recognised in The Hague, that's for sure, but quite possibly it is that which prevailed during the thirty years of Mubarak's rule. Which raises another question, 'What then the Revolution?' I shall be asking that in the weeks ahead.