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Egypt: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sworn in as President
al-Sisi’s main challenges will be to restore stability and revive the economy after three years of turmoil, following a 2011 uprising that ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak.
Since Mursi’s ouster, the crackdown on his supporters has killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands behind bars, while militants have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers.
In a televised address after his victory was announced on Tuesday, al-Sisi called on Egyptians to “work to return security to this nation”.
al-Sisi’s opponents fear that under his rule, Egypt will return to an autocratic regime worse than under Mubarak.
In the run-up to the election, al-Sisi said that “national security” takes precedence over democratic freedoms.
He will be the fifth Egyptian president to rise from the ranks of the military, and is expected to reassert the army’s grip on politics. Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, who opposed Mursi’s Brotherhood, called for a donor conference to help Egypt after the results were announced.
Western nations, which congratulated Sisi on his election win while stressing the importance of safeguarding human rights, sent low-level officials or were represented by ambassadors.
Source: AFP
