(MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)
Minister of Defence Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim at the Police Academy on Tuesday evening along with senior members of the two ministries as Al-Sisi extended wishes to the police ahead of Police Day on Saturday.
“The police and army are the foundation of security and stability in Egypt,” said Al-Sisi in an address to the high-level security officials. He added that the army and the Ministry of Interior’s ability to secure this month’s constitutional referendum confirmed that the security apparatus was “capable of achieving stability for the country” amidst “threats”.
Ibrahim expressed his appreciation of the framework of cooperation between the two institutions, “representing the first shield for the nation against all that threatens it”.
The Ministry of Interior put a comprehensive plan in place to secure “vital installations” and has put its personnel on “high alert” according to state-run Al-Ahram, which will involve mobilising 260,000 policemen and 180,000 security personnel nationwide. Ibrahim also issued instructions to provide additional security for police stations and prisons.
Also on Tuesday evening, interim President Adly Mansour met with a delegation representing the youth at the presidential palace with Deputy Chairman of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) Abdel Ghaffar Shukr, according to state-owned MENA. The meeting lasted five hours and Mansour discussed possible plans for Saturday, 25 January.
The interim president said there would be “no return” to practices by the Mubarak regime despite some concerns voiced by those attending regarding some police practices.
In a statement issued by the Tamarod campaign, which sent Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Hassan Shahin, and Mai Wahba as representatives, following the meeting, it said that Mansour as a judge “does not accept any violation of the law or violation of the constitution”, adding that the presidency would issue a code of honour for the media soon, in cooperation with the NCHR.
The armed forces is scheduled to hold a celebration for the 25 January revolution on Thursday in the presence of Mansour and Al-Sisi, according to Al-Ahram.
