Update, July 6, 2 p.m.: Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, has named Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Prize-winning diplomat, as interim prime minister. The AP reports the nomination, while an assertion of Mansour’s power, will likely deepen opposition of pro-Morsi Islamists. Elbaradei, a former rival presidential candidate, has been a leading critic of Morsi and his government.
Original story, July 6, 11:20 a.m.: Officials in Egypt are assessing the damage Saturday after a night of deadly street violence between supporters and opponents of ousted leader Mohamed Morsi. The clashes left 30 people dead and over 1,000 injured across the country, according to Egypt’s health ministry.
Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, met today with the army chief and the interior minister, who is in charge of police, at the Ittihadiya presidential palace. The AP reports Mansour, who was operating out of the president’s main offices for the first time since his swearing in on Thursday, also met today with leaders of Tamrod, the youth group that organized mass anti-Morsi demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Morsi supporters are calling for continued protests, demanding the restoration of the country’s first democratically elected president. U.S. reaction to the unfolding events in Egypt has been mixed. State Department officials have urged restraint, as the New York Times reports:
“We call on all Egyptian leaders to condemn the use of force and to prevent further violence among their supporters,” said Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman. “As President Obama said, we expect the military to ensure that the rights of all Egyptians are protected, including the right to peaceful assembly, and we call on all who are protesting to do so peacefully.”
The future of U.S. aid to Egypt is still unclear, though if history is any guide, foreign assistance may be cut back eventually.
Follow along with the latest developments here, and Aljazeera has a good live blog of today’s breaking events.
This post has been updated with the latest information.
