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CAIRO. — Supporters of Egypt’s ousted president called for new protests yesterday, threatening to deepen the country’s crisis as the EU foreign policy chief met both the government and the opposition.The Anti-coup Alliance of Islamist groups organising protests against the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi urged demonstrators to march on security buildings on Monday night and called a million-man march for today.
Their statement came after the National Defence Council warned late Sunday it would take “decisive and firm action” against demonstrators if they went beyond their right to peaceful protest.
Tensions were running high after the deaths of 72 people at a pro-Morsi rally in Cairo on Saturday.
A security source said yesterday that a police officer had died of wounds sustained in the violence.
“We . . . call for a million person march under the banner of ‘Martyrs of the Coup’ on Tuesday,” the Anti-Coup Alliance said in a statement.
The group urged Egyptians “to go out into the streets and squares, to regain their freedom and dignity — that are being usurped by the bloody coup — and for the rights of the martyrs assassinated by its bullets”.
It also called for protesters to march on security buildings across Egypt yesterday night “to condemn the criminal acts and the firing of live ammunition by the interior ministry at peaceful demonstrators”.
The calls raised the possibility of fresh confrontations after the National Defence Council warned protesters “not to exceed their rights to peaceful, responsible expression of their opinions”.
The council, which includes the military-installed interim president and the army chief, said demonstrators would face “decisive and firm decisions and actions in response to any violations”.
The military issued its own warning to Cairo protesters in flyers dropped from helicopters early on Monday.
“We call on you not to approach military facilities or units, help us to protect your safety,” it said, addressing protesters as “honourable sons of the nation”.
With tensions rising, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met government and opposition figures. Shortly after arriving on Sunday she met vice president for international affairs, Mohamed ElBaradei, his office said.
“ElBaradei stressed that Egyptian authorities are doing everything possible to achieve a peaceful way out of the crisis,” a statement said. She also held talks with interim president Adly Mansour, whose office said the discussions were “open and understanding”, adding that the leader had “explained to her the exact situation the country is going through”.
Ashton said earlier she would be calling for “a fully inclusive transition . . . including the Muslim Brotherhood”, which she is set to meet later yesterday.
The group has insisted that it will not accept any solution to the crisis that does not involve Morsi’s return to office.
The bloodshed in the Arab world’s most populous nation has sparked mounting international concern, with UN leader Ban Ki-moon warning Egypt’s interim leadership on Sunday that every death made it harder to end the crisis.
Ban “expressed his profound concern about the direction in which the transition in Egypt is moving” and condemned the heightened violence, UN spokeswoman Morana Song said. — AFP.
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