UNITED NATIONS // Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi told the United Nations General Assembly that the rise of ISIL extremism has made the world understand why Egyptians backed the removal of its former Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi.
“The world is starting to grasp the reality of what happened in Egypt and … the circumstances that drove Egyptians to intuitively take to the streets to rebel against the forces of extremism and darkness which once in power undermined the foundations of the democratic process and … sought to impose a state of polarisation”, Mr El Sisi said.
Though he did not give a firm date for when parliamentary elections were to be held, Mr El Sisi said, “the road map for the future agreed upon by Egyptian national powers … will be completed” once a parliament is formed.
The Egyptian president further sought to tie, if indirectly, the now outlawed Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to ISIL, the terrorist group that is one of the key concerns at this year’s General Assembly. He said Egypt was no longer “held back by a terrorism that thinks it can conquer and repress our nation”.
Mr El Sisi also said that Egypt had put forward a peace initiative to end fighting in Libya. The country’s rival militias have agreed to hold talks for the first time later this month.
“We can build on this initiative to reach a comprehensive political solution that strengthens the Libyan elected institutions and ensures that the bloodshed is put to an end”, said Mr El Sisi.
tkhan@thenational.ae