Egypt has extended a nationwide state of emergency for a further three months, effective as of Sunday, according to a presidential decree by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
The three-month-long nationwide extension was approved by the House of Representatives, headed by its Speaker Hanafi Gebali, last Thursday, to take effect as of 24 January.
Under the decree, the Egyptian Armed Forces and police personnel are to take measures necessary to confront the dangers facing the country, and halt funding of terrorism. It also means they are to take the steps needed to safeguard security across the country, protect public and private property, and save the lives of citizens.
According to the Egyptian constitution, presidential decisions to extend the state of emergency must be approved by the country’s parliament.
The decision has been taken to deal with the ongoing dangerous health and security conditions in the country, the decree explained.
The state of emergency, first declared in April 2017 after two deadly church bombings that killed dozens, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, and implementing development programmes for a stable climate. More recently, it has been implemented to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
Since its implementation in 2017, the state of emergency has been renewed for periods not exceeding three months, in accordance with the Egyptian Constitution.
