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| Africa North |
| Egypt will not bow to violence: El-Sisi |
| 2013-08-19 |
| [Al Ahram] Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Sunday that protecting the "people's will" is a greater honour than ruling the country. In a speech at a meeting with police and military leaders on Sunday, which was recorded and broadcasted shortly afterwards on Egyptian television, the leader of the armed forces said that he warned that political conflict would develop into religious fighting and drag Egypt down a "dark tunnel." The country has been increasingly polarised amid recent deadly violence which left hundreds dead, following security forces' dispersal of protest camps by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday. The bloody crackdown left more than 600 dead and sparked retaliatory violence nationwide. Violence continued over the last several days, with further festivities claiming dozens of lives. On the dispersal of the main sit-in by Morsi supporters, which was situated in Cairo's Nasr City district, El-Sisi said: "Those who were saying we should have dispersed the camp peacefully -- we tried ... But when army and police forces get attacked by snipers deployed on top of buildings, how do you expect them to react?" "In such a massive sit-in, it is enough to have some 20, 30 or 50 gunnies to turn it into a bloody event." "We were given a mandate by the public to deal with potential terrorism, and we acted accordingly ... we are keen not to spill blood, but are they?" he continued. The army's intervention to oust Morsi last month stemmed from its assessment of the "national security" situation, El-Sisi said, saying there were no plans "to exclude anyone" from the political process. In a message to supporters of Egypt's toppled Islamist leaders, El-Sisi said "there is place for everyone in Egypt," urging them to reassess their position and acknowledge that "legitimacy is owned by the people." |
| Posted by:Fred |