
Cairo — In his first remarks since Mohammed Morsi’s ouster, Egypt’s military chief said on Sunday the armed forces acted according to the will of the people, because the former Islamist government had stumbled. General Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi made his comments on the eve of another round of mass protests by Morsi’s Islamist supporters who have accused the military of staging a coup and demanded the reinstatement of Egypt’s first democratically elected president.
Also Sunday, Egypt’s chief prosecutor froze the assets of Mohammed Badie, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which Morsi hails, and at least 13 other senior members of the Islamist group.
The US state department’s No 2 diplomat, William Burns, arrived in Cairo on Sunday, the first visit by a high-level American official since Morsi’s ouster.
Burns was scheduled to meet with Egypt’s interim government officials as well as civil society and business leaders during his two-day visit.
The state department says Burns would underscore in his meetings US support for the Egyptian people and a transition leading to an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government. — AP



