Cape Town - Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has warned against attempts to stoke instability in the North African country after a recent spate of small, scattered anti-government demonstrations, according news broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Protesters have called for el-Sisi’s removal in the light of claims of corruption that he co-operated with the army for years in the implementation of many construction projects, including luxury homes for the president’s family and friends, writes London-based news outlet Middle East Eye.
Al Jazeera further reported that the protests also come amid mounting anger, particularly in rural and low-income areas, against sweeping government campaigns to stop illegal construction, which have required people to pay fines to legalise homeownership.
According to reports, protests erupted in more than 40 villages across Egypt on Friday for the sixth day in a row, despite an ongoing police crackdown.
On Sunday, el-Sisi thanked Egyptians for not heeding the calls to protest, saying the government was undertaking the measures as part of reforms.
He said some people have been trying in recent weeks to take advantage of the tough measures they are taking as a government.
El-Sisi was speaking at the inauguration of an oil refinery in the Musturud city of Qalyubia, the Delta, north of Cairo. The US$3.4-million hydrocracking complex will yield a yearly output of 4.7 million tons of high-value petroleum products, according to Egypt Today.
Meanwhile, el-Sisi has said that the state has dealt with the novel coronavirus crisis with credibility and transparency.
Daily News Egypt says that while the authorities are working to reach zero new infections, el-Sisi also said that there was a possibility of a second wave of the virus.
African News Agency (ANA)