• Ahmed al-Mansour, a former Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighter, now vows to overthrow Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and reignite revolutionary fervor in his homeland.
• In response, Sisi’s regime has intensified its crackdown, imprisoning Mansour’s family and suppressing any calls for revolution to maintain control.
When Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s newly emerged leader, emphasized in a recent interview that “revolution can overthrow a regime but cannot build a state,” his remarks resonated with many Syrians. The former rebel leader’s pragmatic tone has become a hallmark of his leadership since the unexpected ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s government last month.
Sharaa’s comments, made during an interview with YouTuber Joe Hattab—who commands an audience of six million followers—were widely seen as part of a constructive narrative aimed at rebuilding Syria after decades of authoritarian rule. Syrian social media users celebrated his words as an emblem of hope and a blueprint for national reconstruction.
However, in neighboring Egypt, state-controlled media offered a starkly different reaction. Prominent commentator Ahmed Moussa, a staunch ally of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, lambasted Sharaa’s remarks on his Sadda Al Balad TV program, labeling them a “complete disaster.” Moussa argued that revolutions invariably dismantle nations, displace millions, and sow chaos—an implicit warning against uprisings in Egypt.
Moussa’s critique stresses the Egyptian regime’s longstanding fear of popular movements, a sentiment deepened by regional developments. Since Sisi’s ascent to power in a 2013 military coup, the Egyptian government has maintained a hardline stance against dissent, particularly during the anniversary of the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
Further fueling Egypt’s anxieties is Ahmed al-Mansour, an Egyptian fighter who joined Syrian rebel factions in 2013. Mansour’s background is one of transformation and defiance. Born in Alexandria Governorate, Mansour pursued higher education at Al-Azhar University and later attended the Naval Academy, specializing in logistics. His academic journey also included studies at the Institute for the Preparation of Preachers, and he became a familiar face on Egyptian television, delivering Islamic lectures.
Mansour’s worldview began to shift following the 2010 torture and killing of Khaled Said, a pivotal moment in Egypt’s modern history. Despite participating in the 2011 revolution, Mansour avoided affiliating with the Muslim Brotherhood or any other political party. However, the Rabaa al-Adawiya massacre in 2013 marked a turning point. Witnessing the military’s violent crackdown, Mansour joined the Rabaa sit-in, where he saw firsthand the regime’s brutality. Within two months of the massacre, he left Egypt for Syria to take up arms against Assad’s government.
Once a member of Sharaa’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Mansour resigned last month, coinciding with Assad’s dramatic exit. Since then, he has called for protests against Sisi, specifically on 25 January—a date synonymous with Egypt’s revolutionary fervor.
Mansour’s recent post on X (formerly Twitter), featuring a provocative image of himself with armed men and the old Egyptian monarchy’s flag, sparked widespread debate. Garnering over seven million views in just two days, his message divided opinion—some applauding his defiance, others cautioning against armed resistance.
Egyptian authorities swiftly launched a media campaign against Mansour. Moussa labeled his post a threat to national security, while Amr Adeeb, another pro-Sisi pundit, questioned whether Syria endorsed Mansour’s actions. Calls for Mansour’s extradition echoed those made during the capture of Hisham Ashmawy, a dissident officer apprehended in Libya and later executed in Egypt.
The crackdown extended to Mansour’s own family, with several members reportedly imprisoned as part of Sisi’s effort to suppress any potential uprising. By targeting not only Mansour but also his relatives, the regime aims to deter others from advocating for revolution.
The Sisi regime’s heightened sensitivity to revolutionary rhetoric is unsurprising, given its challenges. Economic hardships, rising public discontent, and security concerns have left the government vulnerable to criticism. Crackdowns on dissent intensify around key anniversaries, with authorities monitoring social media and making preemptive arrests.
One recent case is Mohamed Ahmed Allam, known as Rivaldo, a satirical TikTok influencer with over two million followers. His critical videos about Sisi’s governance led to his arrest on charges of inciting chaos. Similarly, Ahmed Abu Zeid, a prominent YouTuber, disappeared last week amid allegations of illegal currency trading.
The fall of Assad and the rise of Sharaa signal a seismic shift in the Middle East, with ripples extending far beyond Syria’s borders. For Egypt, the prospect of renewed revolutionary fervor—fueled by figures like Mansour—poses a direct challenge to Sisi’s authority.
Qatar-based journalist Saleem Azouz, a vocal Sisi critic, urged the Egyptian government to address Mansour’s initiatives diplomatically, warning that hostility towards Sharaa’s Syria would yield little benefit.
