Egypt the day after Mubarak quits – live

Egypt is beginning a new political era after mass protests forced President Hosni Mubrak to stand down following 30 years in power. Follow live updates 11.47am: Egyptian airport officials have announced that current or former officials from Mubarak’s government are banned from traveling without permission. 11.44am: Egypt’s state television says the country’s night time curfew has been relaxed. It will now start at midnight and ends at 6am, instead of running from 8pm to 6am. 11.04am: There are protests today in Yemen and Algeria, inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions. Thousands of demonstrators in the Yemeni capital Sana have clashed with government supporters. The protesters chanted: “The people want the fall of the government. A Yemeni revolution after the Egyptian revolution.” Human Rights Watch said the authorities detained 10 anti-government protesters amid celebrations over Mubarak’s departure last night. The group said the protest turned violent when hundreds of men armed with knives, sticks, and assault rifles attacked the protesters as security forces stood by. “The Yemeni security forces have a duty to protect peaceful protesters,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “In this case, security forces seem to have organized armed men to attack the protesters.” Meanhile in Algeria, thousands of riot police have been deployed in the capital, Algiers, to stop an anti-government demonstration from gathering momentum . Organisers of the anti-government march say several thousand people have gathered in the city centre. About 50 protesters managed to reach the square where the protest was due to take place but they were surrounded by hundreds of police and some were arrested, Reuters reported. 10.39am: The repercussions of Mubarak’s fall are being felt across the Middle East as other countries in the region assess what regime change could mean. Syria, which had strained relations with Egypt due to its position as a key US ally in the Arab world and its peace treaty with Israel, has welcomed Mubarak’s fall. His departure will change the “face of Egypt, the region and the entire world,” reported the al Ba’ath daily of Syria’s ruling Ba’ath Party. The state-run Tishrin newspaper said the protests “brought down the Camp-David regime” – a reference to the 1979 Camp David peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Meanwhile Yemen, which has seen spreading anti-government protests in recent months, said it would support the Egyptian people in their search for progress and development. The official news agency Saba said the Yemeni government was confident Egypt’s higher military council would be able to manage the country’s affairs in the transition period. The country’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, arranged an unexpected meeting with military and political leaders late yesterday following Mubarak’s departure. Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years and is a key US ally against al Qaida, last week promised to step down at the end of his term in 2013 in a bid to stave off political unrest. Turkey has urged Egypt’s military to press on with elections. “We hope that Egypt’s military high council will act with common sense and hand over its duty to the new governemnt to be formed as a result of a free and fair election process, and eventually Egypt will proceed to a constitutional democracy,” said a statement issued by prime pinister Tayyip Erdogan’s office today. Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu added that Mubarak’s resignation was an historic development for the Arab world and the region. “Firstly, continuity of the state and public order should be secured. Secondly, people’s demands should be met and a stable and lasting democracy should be built in Egypt through evolution. Thirdly, a transparent road map that the people can follow closely together with the international community should be announced,” he said. 10.39am: Protesters camped out in Cairo are divided about whether to stay or go amid the uncertainty over their country’s future, AP reports. Shopkeeper Gomaa Abdel-Maqsoud says he’s been in Tahrir Square since the protests began on Jan. 25 and is ready to go. He says “I have never seen such happiness in peoples’ faces before; what else do I want?” Nadal Saqr, a university professor, says protesters should stay until the army issues a promised statement with “clear assurances” that their demands for democracy are met. 10.36am: Good morning, this is David Batty with today’s live coverage of Egypt – the day after Hosni Mubarak finally stood down as president after 30 years in power. Here’s a roundup of the current situation following the revolution. • Although thousands are celebrating Mubarak’s departure, what happens next remains unclear. The Egyptian army is now in control and has pledged not to get in the way of legitimate government but world leaders have called for a swift transition to civilian rule. • Thousands of people remained in Tahrir Square in central Cairo overnight to celebrate Mubarak’s departure and more are returning today , waving flags and cheering. •Following the 18 days of protests that toppled the Egyptian government, world attention is turning towards other Arab states, with planned anti-government protests in Algeria facing a clampdown by thousands of riot police . Egypt Protest Middle East Hosni Mubarak David Batty guardian.co.uk

Posted by on February 12, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry