Military chief warns of Egypt’s collapse

By Heba Saleh in Cairo

Egypt’s defence minister warned on Tuesday that continuing political conflict could lead to “the collapse of the state”, in an apparent rebuke to Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president, and his liberal and leftist opponents.

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is also commander of the armed forces, said the political, economic and social challenges facing the country represented a “danger to Egyptian security and the

cohesion of the Egyptians’ state” if they remained unresolved by “all sides”.

The commander’s remarks were his first since the current bout of unrest erupted last week and they are likely to have dismayed the president and his Muslim Brotherhood group, which tried to play them down.

“There was no rebuke to the president,” said Gehad Haddad, a spokesman for the Brothood. “These are responsible comments and a clear message [to those involved in violent protest]. The army is part of the state and the president is the commander-in-chief.”

The statement, published on an official army Facebook page, comes after six days of unrest, in which almost 50 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters, mainly in Port Said but also in Cairo, Suez and other cities.

In what is being interpreted as a hint that the military might feel compelled to intervene if the instability continued, Gen Sisi said that the army would remain “the solid cohesive bloc and the strong pillar which supported the state” and that it would be “an army for all Egyptians whatever their affiliations”.

He also said the army’s deployment in the troubled cities bordering the Suez Canal was intended to secure the waterway, which the military “would not allow to be touched”.

Mr Morsi in August asserted his dominance over the army when he ordered the retirement of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the former defence minister, and Sami Anan, the chief of staff.

The two men were at the helm of the military council which held power after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak as president two years ago. Under their leadership, the council tried to establish itself as a rival centre of power to the presidency and presided over a messy transition that led to scathing criticism from politicians and the media.

Diplomats and analysts say the military is not seeking a return to power, particularly in light of what senior officers such Gen Sisi see as the battering the military’s reputation took during its foray into politics.

Michael Wahid Hanna, an analyst with the Century Foundation, said Mr Sisi’s statements were “well within the boundaries of how the army understands its role”.

“This is a warning that the army is losing patience, not that they want to intervene,” he said. “The question now is whether Morsi and the Brotherhood understand the limitations of their own power. The army still has weight.”

Wael Khalil, a leftwing activist, said any intervention by the military would be unacceptable.

“I don’t think we should allow a role for the army in politics,” he said. “We have already tried over the past two years. But there is a risk now that people lose faith in politics and that this allows anyone [like the military] to jump in with promises to restore order regardless of legitimacy.”

The military had won guarantees of its independence from civilian control in the controversial constitution adopted last month which was drafted by a committee dominated by Islamists. The army retained the right to try civilians before military tribunals, to keep its budget confidential and to veto legislation which affects it. The defence minister has to be chosen from within its ranks.

Mr Morsi on Monday rushed through the legislature a bill giving the army the power to arrest civilians in a bid to shore up security. On Sunday he declared a state of emergency and imposed a night time curfew in the Suez Canal region.

Residents of the three main canal cities defied the curfew and demonstrated overnight. Thousands took the streets of Port Said on Tuesday to bury residents killed in the latest clashes. Violence erupted in the city on Saturday after a court handed down death sentences to 21 locals for their part in deadly football riots last year.

http://www.ft.com/