(AFP PHOTO / HO / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi warned new policemen against being unjust during their graduation ceremony on Saturday, in which Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim also gave a lengthy speech.
Al-Sisi called on the Egyptian people to “line up for the sake of the country,” adding that the “people, police, army and youth in Egypt are one hand”.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim said the police is “determined with all confidence and insistence on imposing the rule of law,” a statement by the Ministry of Interior read. “We all know that the challenges are grave and the risks that the country faces are great, but at the same time we are confident in our abilities,” Ibrahim added.
Al-Sisi was sworn in as president on 8 June, but he has been a household name since 3 July when he came out as Egypt’s strong man after announcing on state-run television the ouster of former president and Muslim Brotherhood politician Mohamed Morsi. At the time, he served as defence minister.
Ibrahim expressed appreciation for the armed forces on behalf of the police corps, describing them as the “protector of the will of the Egyptian people” under “extremely sensitive conditions”.
The interior minister also paid tribute to former interim president Adly Mansour, who took charge for the 11 months between Morsi’s ouster and Al-Sisi inauguration.
Ibrahim told the new policemen that by taking the oath of allegiance, they commit themselves to sacrificing for the “sake of the nation” with utmost “vigilance, efficiency and self-denial”.
Security forces, both from the army and police, and security buildings have come under increasing attacks since July. Over 500 members of the police and army have been killed since the 25 January Revolution. The rise in insurgency was concentrated in the Sinai Peninsula for months but eventually seeped to Cairo and other parts of the country.
