Egyptian authorities plan clampdown on protest camps

Egypt's caretaker prime minister Hazem Beblawi said yesterday the decision to disband Cairo's protest camps was final and called on Egyptians demanding the reinstatement of deposed president Mohamed Morsi to leave promptly.

He accused protesters of blocking roads, inciting violence, and detaining citizens. “The government’s patience to bear this has nearly expired.”

Mr Beblawi, who has been delegated to carry out a crackdown, warned those who have set up barricades and stockpiled stones, bricks and weapons, that the security forces would respond forcibly to violence.

Ramadan delay
The sit-ins at Rabaa al-Adawiya in Nasr City and al-Nahda Square in Giza had not been shut down earlier out of respect for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he added.

Interim president Adly Mansour said foreign mediation efforts to end the standoff with the Muslim Brotherhood had failed. The movement and its allies would be held responsible for any repercussions, he said, although he asserted its supporters would be accepted "with forgiveness and peacefulness" if they abandoned their protests.

"The diplomatic phase has ended," he said. The state accorded diplomats from the EU, US, African Union, United Arab Emirates and Qatar more than 10 days to convince the Muslim Brotherhood "to reject violence, prevent bloodshed, and cease [its] disruption of . . . society".

Mr Mansour did not divulge plans for dealing with Brotherhood marches and encampments but insisted efforts would be within the law. Army chief and defence minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has said any action against the sit-ins would be taken by the security forces, not the army.

Cutting food and water
Sources in Cairo suggest the encampments could be besieged and food, water and electricity cut off, forcing people to leave.

The pro-Morsi coalition, which does not recognise the interim authorities, said it had not discussed proposals put forward by the diplomats. Spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said there had been “no negotiations to fail”, as the other side did not enjoy legitimacy. The only person who could negotiate was Mr Morsi, he said, who must be restored before there could be “flexibility”.

US envoy William Burns has left Cairo for Washington where the state department and White House have distanced themselves from the characterisation by Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham of Mr Morsi's ousting as a "coup".

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the bloc would continue to strive for “inclusive dialogue” and a “return to the democratic transition in Egypt.” EU envoy Bernardino Leon remains in Cairo.

Clashes in the city of Alexandria left one person dead and 46 wounded while gunmen in the northern Sinai Peninsula killed former legislator Ahmed Hamid Silmi, a member of the outlawed National Democratic Party of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.