Monday, July 08, 2013

At Least 42 Massacred by Egyptian Military Outside Republican Guard Headquarters; Political Crisis Deepens Amid Condemnations

42 die in clashes between Egypt army and pro-Morsi protesters

Ahram Online, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Brotherhood claims army opened fire on peaceful protesters, army says 'armed terrorist group' tried to storm Republican Guard HQ; health ministry confirms 42 dead; one officer dead; Islamist leaders condemn killings

Prosecutors have begun on Monday afternoon an investigation into the bloody clashes between the Egyptian army and pro-Morsi protesters at the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo earlier in the day.

The clashes left at least 42 civilians dead and 322 injured.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian army said one officer died and 40 soldiers were injured, including seven in critical condition.

Prosecutors said they had found bullets, birdshot and Molotov cocktails in the vicinity of the clashes near the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo's Nasr City.

A delegation of prosecutors visited Zenhom morgue where some of the dead were taken, while another interviewed victims in local hospitals.

Contradictory stories

Conflicting reports have emerged on how the clashes started on the fifth day of a Muslim Brotherhood spearheaded sit-in at the army facility to demand the return of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

In an official statement published by Al-Ahram Arabic news website, the army said an "armed terrorist group" attempted to break into the Republican Guard headquarters in the early hours of Monday and "attacked security forces."

The Muslim Brotherhood's FJP, however, issued an official statement saying "peaceful protesters were performing the Fajjr (dawn) prayers" when the army "fired tear gas and gunshots at them without any consideration for the sanctity of prayers or life."

"This is also a violation against people's right to peaceful protest," it added.

Large numbers of women and young people sought shelter in a nearby mosque, the Brotherhood statement said, but the security forces "besieged the mosque and arrested anyone who came out of it."

“This has never happened before in the history of the Egyptian army,” the FJP statement added.

“Perhaps there are still some wise men in the army who can put a stop to this behavior which is abnormal to the Egyptian army.”

The army, however, said it had arrested at least 200 people who had “large quantities of firearms, ammunition and Molotov cocktails.”

It also said that it had reopened Salah Salem Road which had been blocked by pro-Morsi protesters.

President Morsi was deposed by Egypt's Armed Forces on Wednesday following nationwide protests calling for his ouster. Judge Adly Mansour, the head of the High Constitutional Court, was sworn in as the country's interim president on Thursday.

Morsi's removal sparked anger among his supporters, mainly Islamists, spearheaded by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The National Alliance for Supporting Legitimacy, a pro-Morsi group formed to back his right to complete his term of office, continues its sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo’s Nasr City district.

Other pro-Morsi groups have been protesting elsewhere, most notable at Nahdet Misr Square in Giza.

Political reactions and fallout

Shortly after the deadly clashes, Strong Egypt Party leader Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, a critic of former President Morsi, called on interim president Adly Mansour to step down.

Abul-Fotouh, who resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood shortly after the 2011 uprising, told Al Jazeera that the incident was "a horrible crime against humanity and all Egyptians."

Also on Monday, the Salafist Nour Party, which had initially backed the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, announced that it "will withdraw from the political process" in response to the incident.

"We wanted to avoid bloodshed, but now blood has been spilled. So now we want to announce that we will end all negotiations with the new authorities," Nour added.

Meanwhile, Constitution Party leader Mohamed ElBaradei has called for an independent investigation into clashes at the Republican Guard headquarters that left at least 42 dead on Monday morning.

“Violence begets violence and should be strongly condemned,” ElBaradei said via Twitter. “Independent investigation a must. Peaceful transition is only way.”

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75982.aspx


ElBaradei demands independent inquiry into Republican Guard HQ violence

Ahram Online, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei condemns killing of 42 people at pro-Morsi protest outside Republican Guard HQ

Constitution Party leader Mohamed ElBaradei has called for an independent investigation into clashes at the Republican Guard headquarters that left at least 42 dead on Monday morning.

“Violence begets violence and should be strongly condemned,” ElBaradei said via Twitter. “Independent investigation a must. Peaceful transition is only way.”

Clashes erupted between pro-Morsi protesters and the army at dawn on Monday. The protesters had been holding a sit-in outside the Republican Guard headquarters for several days to demand the return of Mohamed Morsi to the presidency.

The health ministry said 42 died and 322 were injured in the violence.

The Muslim Brotherhood said the army used live ammunition against peaceful protesters.

However, in its official statement, the army said an "armed terrorist group" attempted to break into the Republican Guard headquarters in the early hours of Monday and "attacked security forces."

One officer died and 40 soldiers were injured, including seven in a critical condition, the statement said.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75995.aspx


Egypt's Brotherhood calls for uprising against 'coup'

Ahram Online, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Freedom and Justice Party condemns 'massacre' of supporters at Republican Guard HQ, calls for revolt against those who want to 'destroy revolution'

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has called for an uprising against those who want to "destroy Egypt's revolution."

"The Freedom and Justice Party calls on the great Egyptian people to rise up against those who want to steal their revolution with tanks and armoured vehicles, even over the dead bodies of the people," it said in a statement.

The FJP also condemned the "massacre" of pro-Morsi protesters on Monday morning.

The army and police clashed with pro-Morsi protesters at the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo’s Nasr City during dawn prayers on Monday, leaving 42 dead and 322 injured.

The FJP said: "The Egyptian people woke up on 8 July 2013 to the sound of bullets being fired at peaceful protesters in front of the Republican Guard HQ while they were performing their dawn prayers, turning it into a horrible massacre."

In an official statement published by Al-Ahram Arabic news website, the army said an "armed terrorist group" attempted to break into the Republican Guard headquarters in the early hours of Monday and "attacked security forces."

One officer died and 40 soldiers were injured, including seven in critical condition, the army statement reads.

"This has never happened before in the history of the Egyptian army," the FJP statement added. "Perhaps there are still some wise men in the army who can put a stop to this behaviour, which is abnormal from the Egyptian army."

The FJP also called on the international community to step in to stop further bloodshed and prevent Egypt becoming like Syria.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75988.aspx


Salafist Nour Party quits political process to protest shooting of Islamists

Ahram Online, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Salafist Nour party withdraws from 'political process' after 42 Morsi supporters die in clashes with Egypt's Armed Forces

The Nour Party has announced that it "will withdraw from the political process" after clashes between the army and pro -Morsi protesters at dawn on Monday left 42 dead.

"We will not be silent over the massacre that took place in front the Republican guard today," Nader Bakar, the party spokesperson wrote on his Facebook page.

"We wanted to avoid bloodshed, but now blood has spilled. So now we want to announce that we will end all negotiations with the new authorities."

The Nour Party was one of the signatories on the roadmap that head of Egyptian Armed Forces Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Wednesday in which he removed former president Mohamed Morsi from power.

Pro-Morsi protesters have been camping outside the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo's Nasr City for several days to demand the return of Morsi to power.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75991.aspx


Egypt prosecutors open investigation into Rep. Guard HQ killings

El-Sayed Gamel El-Din, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Investigation begins into killing of 42 people during clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and Egyptian army outside Republican Guard HQ

Prosecutors have begun an investigation into the killing of at least 42 people during clashes between the Egyptian army and pro-Morsi protesters in Cairo on Monday morning

Prosecutors said they had found bullets, birdshot and Molotov cocktails in the vicinity of the clashes near the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo's Nasr City.

A delegation of prosecutors visited Zenhom morgue where some of the dead were taken, while another interviewed victims in local hospitals.

The dead will be buried after autopsies are carried out, prosecutors said.

At least 42 people were killed and over 300 injured during clashes between supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi and the army at dawn on Monday.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which had been leading a sit-in at the Republican Guard headquarters for several days, said the army had opened fire with live ammunition against peaceful protesters.

The army, however, issued an official statement saying that "an armed terrorist group" had attempted to break into the Republican Guard headquarters in the early hours of Monday and had "attacked security forces."

Oneofficer was killed and 40 soldiers injured, seven of whom are in a critical condition, the army added.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/76000.aspx


Abul-Fotouh calls on Egypt's interim president to step down

Ahram Online, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Former presidential contender Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh condemns killing of at least 42 people at pro-Morsi protest as 'crime against humanity'

Strong Egypt Party leader Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, a critic of former President Morsi, called on interim president Adly Mansour to step down after 42 people were killed in clashes between the army and pro-Morsi protesters at the Republican Guard headquarters on Monday.

Abul-Fotouh, who resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood shortly after the 2011 uprising, told Al Jazeera that the incident was "a horrible crime against humanity and all Egyptians."

Earlier on Monday, the Salafist Nour Party, which had initially agreed on Wednesday to the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, announced that it "will withdraw from the political process" in response to the incident.

"We wanted to avoid bloodshed, but now blood has been spilled. So now we want to announce that we will end all negotiations with the new authorities," Nour added."We wanted to avoid bloodshed, but now blood has been spilled. So now we want to announce that we will end all negotiations with the new authorities," Nour added.

President Morsi was deposed by Egypt's Armed Forces on Wednesday following nationwide protests calling for his ouster. Judge Adly Mansour, the head of the High Constitutional Court, was sworn in as the country's interim president on Thursday.

Morsi's removal sparked anger among his supporters, mainly Islamists, spearheaded by the Muslim Brotherhood.

At least 42 were killed and over 300 injured during clashes on Monday morning between supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi and the army at the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo's Nasr City.

In an official statement published by Al-Ahram Arabic news website, the army said an "armed terrorist group" attempted to break into the Republican Guard headquarters in the early hours of Monday and "attacked security forces."

One officer died and 40 soldiers were injured, including seven in critical condition, the statement said.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75994.aspx


Egypt stocks plunge after Republican Guard HQ clashes

Ahram Online, Monday 8 Jul 2013

Main index down 2.4% in first minutes of trading after Cairo clashes between supporters of deposed president Morsi and security forces leave 42 dead

Egypt's main index plunged 2.4 percent within minutes of the bourse opening, hours after Cairo clashes left 42 dead and 322 injured.

The violence sent stocks spiralling downwards, with the EGX30 index down 2.53 percent by 11:30 am and the broader EGX70 index down 3.2 percent.

The bourse had surged 5 percent on Thursday, the day after Egypt's first freely-elected president was deposed by the Armed Forces after days of mass protests demanding his departure.

But violence over the weekend between supporters of the ousted president and their opponents caused stocks to dip once more on Sunday, sliding 0.4 percent.

Blue chip Commercial International Bank was down some 4.4 percent and Orascom Construction Industries slid 0.82 percent.

Egyptian Financial Group-Hermes had fallen nearly 4.3 percent and Orascom Telecom 2.5 percent.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75997.aspx

No comments: