DAVOS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed on Friday for Egypt’s leaders and its people not to let violence escalate further, calling for respect for freedom of association and speech.
"All concerned — people or leaders — should ensure that the situation in that region, particularly in Egypt should not lead to further violence," Ban told a news conference at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
"I have been calling on the authorities to see this situation as an opportunity to address the legitimate concerns of their people."
Asked about of curbs on the internet in Egypt, which protesters had been using to organize Ban appealed for the country to respect freedom of association and speech.
Egyptian demonstrators fought security forces into the early hours of Friday in the city of Suez, and the Internet was blocked ahead of the biggest protests yet planned against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.
