Egypt army chief warns of ‘state collapse’ amid crisis

Egypt’s armed forces chief has warned the current political crisis “could lead to a collapse of the state”.

General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, in comments posted on the military’s Facebook page, said such a collapse could “threaten future generations”.

He made his statement following a large military deployment in three cities along the Suez Canal where a state of emergency has been declared.

More than 50 people have died in days of protests and violence.

Overnight, thousands of people in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez – where some of the worst unrest has been – ignored a night-time curfew imposed by President Mohammed Morsi to take to the streets.

Thousands were again on the streets of Port Said on Tuesday for the latest funerals of those killed, with mourners calling for the downfall of the president.

There were also saw continuing sporadic clashes in the capital, Cairo.

Gen Sisi’s lengthy statement appears to be a veiled threat to protesters and opposition forces as well as an appeal for calm and an attempt to reassure Egyptians about the role of the military, the BBC’s Yolande Knell in Cairo says.

The Egyptian army appears to be trying to make several statements at once.

Gen Sisi’s remarks – originally made to students at a military academy – are a strong reminder that the armed forces remain an important political and economic player in Egypt.

The general’s comments criticized the destabilizing power struggle between the different political forces. He is trying to assert the army’s independence and its role as “a strong pillar of the state”.

Gen Sisi served on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) while it temporarily ruled the country, and the army knows its reputation has been tainted by its time in power.

The general now seems to be defining the army’s role as recognizing the right to peaceful protest while protecting key installations – namely the Suez Canal, one of Egypt’s main sources of foreign revenue.

“The continuing conflict between political forces and their differences concerning the management of the country could lead to a collapse of the state and threaten future generations,” Gen Sisi, who is also Egypt’s defence minister, said.

He said the economic, political and social challenges facing Egypt represented “a real threat to the security of Egypt and the cohesiveness of the Egyptian state”.

The military deployment along the Suez Canal was meant only to protect the key shipping route, one of Egypt’s main sources of foreign revenue, and described the army as “a pillar of the state’s foundations”, he added.

His comments were made in an address to army cadets which were subsequently posted on the military’s official Facebook page.

M.D