Egyptian army officials have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Egypt’s political class to settle the unrest that erupted in the country over the weekend. Sixteen people have died thus far, after supporters and opponents of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-linked President Mohammed Morsi took to the streets in rival demonstrations. Military leaders have seen enough:
The military underlined it will “not be a party in politics or rule.” But it said it has a responsibility to act because Egypt’s national security is facing a “grave danger,” according to the statement, read out on state television. “The Armed Forces repeat its call for the people’s demands to be met and give everyone 48 hours as a last chance to shoulder the burden of a historic moment for a nation that will not forgive or tolerate any party that is lax in shouldering its responsibility,” it said. It did not directly define “the people’s demands,” but said if they are not realized, the military is obliged to “announce a road-map for the future and the steps for overseeing its implementation, with participation of all patriotic and sincere parties and movements.”
The statement additionally emphasized that the military had provided previous opportunities for the Morsi government to defuse the crisis that has gripped the nation, and that the political echelon had failed to do so. The government instead attempted to crack down on journalists who were covering the growing discontent. In response to opponents, Morsi last Wednesday gave a speech in which he blamed a conspiracy of enemies for endemic economic and political problems plaguing Egypt.
Washington’s reaction to the violence and to the army’s ultimatum is still forming. Speaking from Tanzania, President Barack Obama declined to call for Morsi to step down, emphasizing instead that while “it’s not our job to choose who Egypt’s leaders are,” Egyptian leaders must be responsive to popular demands.
Washington Institute fellow Eric Trager meanwhile pointed out that the army may have little choice but to act “given [the] impending collapse” of the Egyptian state, and recommended a triage strategy coupled with an absolute prohibition against government-driven violence:
[T]he Obama administration should publicly urge Morsi to respond to the legitimate demands of his people through action, not just words. It should further tell him that despite winning office through elections, he is now in a position similar to Mubarak’s two years ago, and that failing to satisfy a critical mass of his critics now will harden demands for his ouster and render him incapable of continuing as president. Finally, the administration should tell Morsi in no uncertain terms that violence against protestors is the U.S. redline. If Brotherhood cadres or their Islamist allies respond to the demonstrations with violence, as happened in December, Washington should be prepared to support a military intervention, since Morsi’s continued rule would at that point be a catalyst for increasingly violent chaos.
[Photo: Kodak Agfa / Flickr]