'Egypt sliding towards civil war' after Mohammed Morsi rejects army ultimatum

 
international NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi walks to the podium for his address to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2012 in New York City. Over 120 prime ministers, presidents and monarchs are gathering this week at the U.N. for the annual meeting. This year's focus among leaders will be the ongoing fighting in Syria, which is beginning to threaten regional stability.
Getty
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

A former British ambassador to Egypt today warned the country risked sliding towards civil war after its President rejected an ultimatum from the army.

Mohammed Morsi said he would carry on with his own plans “regardless” of the Egyptian military’s statement which he claimed would “deepen divisions”.

His words came after the army gave him 48 hours to address demands of thousands of liberal protesters on the streets of Cairo.

Meanwhile Mr Morsi’s own supporters also gathered overnight in a show of support for the President.

Sir Graham Boyce, ambassador to Egypt between 1999 and 2001, said: “There is a risk [of civil war], You have got some huge crowds out there. Not just in Cairo but in other cities as well. At the moment those groups are apart.

“If there is no resolution in the 48 hours which were given, which are now counting down very fast, there is a danger of some very violent clashes.

“Whether that changes into full civil war depends on how its handled then. We have some very short deadlines in front of us.”

He told the BBC conflict could be averted if Mr Morsi compromised, though he accepted there was little sign he would.

It also emerged today US President Barack Obama phoned Mr Morsi to urge him to address protesters’ concerns.

In their ultimatum Egyptian generals pledged to “announce a road map for the future” and implement it if Mr Morsi failed to calm protests within two days.

The military would not be “a party in politics or rule” the statement said, but had a responsibility to stabilise the country for the sake of national security.

Mr Morsi’s office said the President was not consulted and the military’s intervention would confuse an already complex situation.

However, a string of high-ranking cabinet members resigned suggesting Mr Morsi is growing politically isolated.

The army’s announcement set crowds of liberal protesters celebrating, but was slammed by Mr Morsi’s Muslim backers.

Leading Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohammed el-Beltagi said at a rally: “Any coup of any kind against legitimacy will only pass over our dead bodies.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in