Thousands clashed with police in Ramses Square and 6 October bridge. According to Brotherhood sources there are two dead and 300 injured. The Deputy US Secretary of State William Burns: There's a second chance to make the revolution. Meeting with Gen. Al Sisi, with the interim president Adly Mansour and Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi. Today or tomorrow the swearing in of the new government.

Cairo (AsiaNews) - Cairo police clashed overnight with thousands of supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi, dismissed at the beginning of July.

The protesters began to gather after iftar, the dinner that breaks the Ramadan fast after sunset. They threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas. According to Morsi supporters, the Muslim Brotherhood, there were two dead and more than 300 injured in the clashes near Ramses Square. More violence took place near the October 6 bridge.

They were the first violent clashes after a week, when a huge pro-Morsi demonstratio turned voilent leaving 55 demonstrators dead, along with four policemen.

Yesterday's demonstration took place while William Burns, Deputy US Secretary of State began a visit to Egypt. Burns met with the new leadership that ousted Morsi: Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, head of the Armed Forces, the interim president Adly Mansour and Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi.

Since the 2011demonstrations against Mubarak, the United States has held a rather awkward position: at first doubtful whether to support Mubarak or Tahrir Square, and then, in the election, whether to support the Muslim Brotherhood or the army. After Morsi's victory, the US was open to friendship with the Brotherhood and accepted his ouster with heavy opposition, despite it being decreed by over 30 million people, supported by the Egyptian army.

Burns said yesterday that the country had "a second chance to realize the promise of the revolution."

But the U.S. - which supports the Egyptian armed forces with an annual aid budget of 1.5 billion dollars - are now much despised by the Egyptian population. The Tamarod, the anti-Morsi movement, that collected over 20 million signatures to remove him from office, have refused to meet with Burns. As have the Salafis, who are also anti-Morsi.

Meanwhile, the interim government, which should lead the country to elections at the beginning of 2014 and try to heal the devastated Egyptian economy, is taking shape. The government should be sworn in today or tomorrow. Members include: Nabil Fahmy, former ambassador to the U.S., as Foreign Minister, Ahmed Galal, the former head of the World Bank as finance minister, Ziad Bahaa-Eldin, an expert in finance, will be minister for international cooperation; Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, will be vice-president for international relations. Ines Abdel Dayem, former head of Cairo Opera, fired by Morsi, will become Minister of Culture.

While the former president is held under house arrest, the attorney general's office has opened an investigation on him and seven other members of the Brotherhood, suspected of killing demonstrators and of "collaboration with foreign parties to target national interests ". Among them are Mohamed Badie, the president of the Brotherhood, and Vice-President Essam el-Erian.

 

• egypt
• islam
• muslim
• brotherhood
• morsi
• clash
• government