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Latest update: 29/01/2011
- Egypt - Hosni Mubarak - Mohamed ElBaradei - riots
Top dissident ElBaradei says President Mubarak must go
In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, Egyptian Nobel peace prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei says protests will continue to intensify across the country so long as President Hosni Mubarak refuses to step down.
By FRANCE 24 (with wires) (text)
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "must go," the prominent Egyptian dissident Mohamed ElBaradei told France 24 on Saturday from Cairo.
ElBaradei said there was a "consensus" in Egypt that the current regime was "dictatorial" and had "failed to deliver on economic, social or political fronts".
"President Mubarak did not understand the message of the Egyptian people," ElBaradei said. "His speech was totally disappointing. The protests will continue with even more intensity until the Mubarak regime falls".
The former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog returned to Cairo from Vienna in time to join massive protests across Egypt on Friday, which shook the world's most populous Arab nation and prompted Mubarak in a speech early Saturday to promise reforms and a cabinet reshuffle.
The president ordered troops and tanks into Cairo and other cities overnight and imposed a curfew, which was widely flouted by protesters.
There have been no official casualty figures, but according to a Reuters tally at least 74 people have been killed since the start of the unrest on Tuesday.
Despite the deaths, opposition leaders have vowed to press on with protests until Mubarak quits.
"I will go back into the streets today (Saturday) with my colleagues to contribute to bring change... and to tell President Mubarak that he must go", ElBaradei said.
The Nobel laureate said he expected the protests to escalate in the coming days, predicting that the Egyptian army would eventually side with the people. "The army never clashes with the Egyptian people, so I hope [Mubarak] will understand the message before things get ugly", he said.
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(6) Reactions
God,s peace in Egypt
I pray that may almighty God bring peace over the land of Egypt
and forgive those innocent people who die during the demonstration,may God rest their souls forever and everlasting life.May God also look into the brutal regime and bring political reforms in Egypt with good and democratic leaders that can fulfill the aspirations of Egyptians.
Against Hosni Mubarak
Je soumets toutes mes salutations et j'espère que vous avez l'acceptation
A radiating future in Egypt
ElBaradei ist a diplomat and nuclear scientist. He was never a leader. With ElBaradei Egypt will have a president with ready access to nucler weapons. He knows where to acquire them from the shelf.
politicks
To restore peace in the country president Mubarak must stepdown in favor of the opposition.
EGYPT
MUBARAK MUST GO AND FACE JUSTICE IF HE COMMITTED CRIMES DURING HIS 30 YEAR REIGN.
These are the consequence of US' wrong foreign policies
Once again, the world events confirm the wrong foreign policies of the US government. Supporting a dictator over the will of the people in order to secure a short-term "stability." This is a failed policy that US has repeated over and over, and does not seem to wake up and change the course. From its involvement in the coup in Iran to return Mohammad Reza Shah to supporting other dictators in the region such as Mubarak. Why is it that US stay silent and continues supporting dictator until there is an unrest? Once the uprising becomes serious, the US government starts taking position. This is a clear indication of US' dishonesty. It does not care about the freedom and democracy of the people around the world. It only cares about its own interest even at the cost of suppression of people's freedom by the dictator. When will the world wake up? If US is honest this time, it should prove it by removing its support for the regimes in all Persian Gulf countries, Jordan, Yemen, etc. If US continues its faild policy and comment only after it is evident that its backed dictator must go, we should bring it to the attention of the world. Remember, people in these non-free countries care about their countries' interests, not about those of the US. I am really frustrated at this situation in the world, where everything is measured based on US' interest, and not the interest of the people of other countries. This wrong and ridiculous and must stop.