Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, in graphic on Press TV News Analysis. Azikiwe is a frequent contributor to media agencies around the world., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Interview with Abayomi Azikiwe
Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:43PM GMT
To watch this interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, on the political crisis in Egypt, just click on the website below:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/16/319033/egypt-facing-civil-war/
Press TV has conducted an interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of Pan African News Wire, about the brutal killing of protesters by security forces in Egypt. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Mr. Azikiwe the situation in Egypt shows no sign of improvement and many are now saying the country has plunged into a civil war. What do you think?
Azikiwe: It is indeed at a critical stage. There is no doubt that the massacre that occurred just two days ago has clearly escalated the tensions inside the country and then the spreading of sectarian violence throughout Egypt with the attacks upon Coptic churches as well as further arson attacks against government installations by what appears to be supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood has indeed extended the struggle to a whole different level.
But we have to go back to the origin of this conflict. We feel very strongly that some political solution could have been worked out as late as three or four days ago, but with the decision to go ahead with the crackdown on the two sit-ins that were taking place inside of Cairo and the subsequent deaths that have taken place, it is going to be very difficult now to bring about any type of real national reconciliation talks inside the country.
When you have a situation where anywhere between five hundred, and according to some Muslim Brotherhood sources, up to three thousand people have been killed just over the last three days, it is going to be very difficult for the country to come back and approach this situation from any type of real political or social standpoint.
Press TV: And just how much do you think the crisis and the problem in Egypt is related to internal problems, related to internal politics as opposed to foreign intervention?
Azikiwe: They are both domestic and foreign dimensions to this conflict. The United States: the fact that it appeared to have endorsed the military coup d'etat on July the 3rd. We have to remember that there was dialogue, it took place between the top level military officials and the Pentagon during that particular time period and then of course there has been now a month and a half since the military seizure of power and the US even to this day has still not categorized what happened on July 3rd as a military coup d'etat.
And this is extremely problematic both domestically as well as internationally and now of course the United States' failure to pinpoint this undemocratic change of political power inside of Egypt has actually in a way given the military officials a green light to carry out this massive crackdown against supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as others who have been critical of what the interim government has been doing in Egypt now for over six weeks.
So it's a very critical situation at this point and tensions are not subsiding, they are escalating and of course we are facing the potential for a full-blown civil conflict inside of Egypt which will have devastating implications throughout the region.
Press TV: And very briefly sir, I mean we know that one of these movements in Egypt, the Tamarod movement, if I am not mistaken, has called for a million-man march after Friday prayers today. This despite the fact that the Interior Ministry has said it will not allow any seating or gatherings. I mean how do you think the situation will develop today?
Azikiwe: Well if this takes place, there will be further clashes. This is going to be very provocative as far as the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood are concerned and if there are large numbers of people who come out in support of the military and in effect in support of these large-scale crackdowns and massacres that have taken place over the last two to three days. It's really going to be even more bloodier.
So it will be advisable for the authorities in Egypt to discourage the Tamarod movement from coming out into the streets. Tamarod just adds to the existing instability and violence that has really torn the country apart, as we speak.
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