It has been five years since Egypt’s Rabaa massacre. Whereby the country’s security forces killed more than 800 protestors. All in a matter of hours. To date, not a single member of the military has been brought to book. The tragedy has been repeatedly described by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as likely amounting to crimes against humanity. Though this has not stopped either the ruling regime or the international community from conducting business as usual. Meaning it has been left to the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to outline the path towards national reconciliation. That the plan revolves around Mohammed Morsi suggests it has little chance of getting off the ground. After all, he is the man that the state deceptively holds responsible for all the unrest. No matter that his ouster has been largely accepted as the work of the Army in part due to his ties to the Brotherhood; all under the false banner of Arab Spring spill-over. Yet the military men, led by incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had not banked on Morsi supporters — 85,000-strong by some accounts — taking to the streets to stage massive sit-ins covering a 45-day period. Fast-forward to the present and Egypt has had no time to heal. Indeed, last month alone saw a court sentence to death 75 pro-Morsi protestors while introducing new legislation to grant retrospective immunity from prosecution to military officers for their role in the subsequent and prolonged unrest in the aftermath of Rabaa. Keeping this in mind, the Muslim Brotherhood has decided to change tack. Mere days after its party chief and other leaders were jailed for life over their role in the 2013 protests, the group has called for a fresh presidential election. This would see Morsi in the hot seat once more to head a coalition set-up; agreed by way of national consensus on the condition that no party is left behind. It would be tasked with overseeing a new round of voting. President al-Sisi has already indicated that he will not play ball. Not least because his strategic manoeuvre to have the Brotherhood declared a terrorist organisation back in 2013 affords him the luxury of outwardly acting tough on the bad guys. In fact, there is little to suggest that the regime would even consider this an opening offer. Simply put, there is no need. Especially considering that the man at the top returned to power in what was widely seen as a farcical election back in April. Added to this is the fact that the Americans are happy dealing with him; for the time being. Not least because in him they see a buffer to the threat of an Islamist surge that could potentially jeopardise the long-held peace treaty between Egypt and Israel; while simultaneously risking US ambitions in the region. Thus the only viable option is to support global rights groups in their demands for an international inquiry in to the Rabaa massacre. Yet given that the Palestinians have spent the last seven decades waiting in vain for justice in the face of Israeli aggression, neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor ordinary Egyptians should hold their breath. Sadly. * Published in Daily Times, August 15th 2018.