Egypt. Arab world’s largest country. Maintains multilateral relations with the United States. It has border with Israel and Gaza. It is exporter of culture and ways of doing for the countries of the region. Now, Egypt is the sign of convulsive transitions. The democratic process has overturned with the forced deposition of elected President Mohamed Mursi and the entry of the army as transient guarantor for social and political control. Tahrir Square has become a principal actor, two years after becoming an icon on the called Arab Spring.
Thais Bonilla/ / On Sunday June 30 the streets of all the cities of Egypt were full in a demonstration that brought together more than 20 million people, a mobilization that had never been seen before. Harangued by Tamarrud Movement (Rebellion), which launched a campaign in May, calling for the resignation of the president of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Mursi, because he didn’t promote an inclusive society and because he drafted a constitution that didn’t show the demands of the population.
Almost simultaneously they were announced 300 arrest warrants against leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Jazeera television was suspended. “These measures will take us back to the dark days of Mubarak, when political parties were banned and the Brothers were arrested en masse” warned Heba Morayef, director of Human Rights Watch in Egypt, in a statement recorded by eldiario.es.
From Europe, there is a shared concern from the army has erected with power, especially given its long history of repression during the riots of 2011 and its role during the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. “The situation is complex. We have seen that there is no real civil state and that the state is militarized. The real problem in Egypt is the military power of the scenes and its social dimension”, said Laura Fernandez, a journalist living in Jordan and member of civil society organizations. For its part, the Catalan journalist expert in social movements in the Arab countries, Lali Sandiumenge, is concerned “because the consequences are uncertain” and speaks of “a military coup, but somehow promoted by popular support”. And they are many people who claim that the Army would not have given the current step if it had not seen the great social mobilization against the Islamists.
However, Iñigo Sáenz de Ugarte journalist specializing in the Middle East, speaks directly about military coup: “Removal of the President-elect? Done. Suspension of the Constitution?? Done. Choice-Picked a new president? Done. Army superlative praise as key force in society? Done. Promise a new election date? Done. Armored and soldiers at streets to maintain order? Done. Detention of party leaders in power? Done. Closing media against the coup? Done. The military has completed all the required fields.”
Also the British journalist for The Independent, Robert Fisk wrote, “for the first time in world history a coup not a coup. These words do not come out of the lips of the President of the United States (U.S.), Barack Obama, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. They will not because they are millions of Egyptians demanding just this coup, although he does not call it that, of course. “British Journalist, former correspondent and expert on Middle East countries, also brings to the fore the close relationship of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the U.S. government, pointing to the grant of more than 1,300 million U.S. dollars annually offers the Army, which lost if the action qualified as coup, in addition to possible international sanctions-, or highlighting the control that provides Egypt regarding Israel to the U.S.
Divided reactions in neighboring countries
Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate, liberal opposition leader and possible new Egyptian President declared that the military coup had relaunched the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Affirmation that seems to suggest the legitimacy of the use of armed force. Both are united in their opposition to Morsi, however, what happens next? “If the opposing forces meet their ideologies should do a thorough cleaning of the military and police. This cleaning could start talking about Army privileges in the country … Do they allow it?”, reflects the journalist Laura Fernandez.
The Syrian information minister said, in the hours prior to the deposition of Morsi, “the Egyptian crisis can be overcome if the president realizes that the vast majority of the Egyptian people reject it and ask her to leave” thus supporting the Egyptian army action and considering “profound historical change”. A statement should be further understood in the context of the conflict in Syria, as the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the most powerful factions that support the rebels in the fight to topple Bashar al-Assad.
For his part, the King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdolaziz, was among the first international leaders to support the new Egyptian interim government. Similarly rulers acted UAE and Jordan. In contrast, Qatar has shown, from the beginning, its support Islamist regime of Muslim Brother, but Turkey has been the only country which has proved quite contrary to the overthrow of President.
The National Safety Commission and Foreign Policy of Iran pointed to the “mismanagement of the Muslim Brotherhood” as the cause of the current situation. So far, Israel has not ruled on the matter, under pressure from its geopolitical interests in the region, and Palestinian civil society welcomes social mobilization but not look kindly interference of the armed forces.
From Gaza, civil society regrets that once again, are the men and women living there who bear the brunt of the political changes in neighboring countries. The Rafah border since its recent opening after the fall of Mubarak, was the only way for the Palestinian population in Gaza from the Israeli blockade in 2006. Having declared that the Egyptian military state of emergency, the passage has been closed until further notice, further worsening the humanitarian crisis in the already vulnerable population if gazawi.
Human rights must prevail
Coup or not, is necessary to ensure the rule of law and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, preventing repression and promoting democratic transition is the real star of the future of the Arab country. For this it is necessary to strengthen democratic devices themselves the rule of law and draft a constitution that respects and prioritizes defense and social equality. Thus, be circumvented also the danger that the situation drift into a civil war.
So far, the protests have already caused high levels of deaths. As has happened in the last demonstrations organized by the Muslim Brotherhood against the army next to the headquarters of the Republican Guard, where 42 people died and 300 were injured. Confrontation that caused the call to an intifada (uprising) by those people against the army and the overthrow of Mohamed Mursi. Meanwhile, ElBaradei reiterated that “violence begets violence and should be strongly condemned.’s Peaceful transition is the only way.”
*NOVACT developed last month of June a workshop with activists involved in the struggle for social justice in Egypt, using their experiences and struggles to make learning meaningful for everyone and improve the organizations for social change.
