Egypt’s Sisi urges vigilance ahead of planned protests

By Hussein Mahmoud

CAIRO

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has called for vigilance ahead of planned protests called by anti-regime critics to protest recent price hikes in the country.

Activists have called mass demonstrations on November 11 to protest price hikes in a country that has been facing a crippling economic crisis since 2011.

On Monday, Sisi held a high-level meeting with top army and security officials, including the defense and interior ministers and intelligence chiefs.

In a statement, the Egyptian Presidency said the meeting tackled the latest security developments in Egypt, particularly the Sinai Peninsula, which has been roiled by insurgency since 2011.

Sisi called “for maintaining the highest level of caution, vigilance and combat preparedness with a view to maintaining the homeland’s security and safety of citizens”, the statement said.

Last month, Sisi – a former army chief who led a coup against elected President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 – expected the anti-regime protests to fail.

Public anger has been growing in Egypt in recent months as prices of basic commodities have risen up with many blaming the Sisi regime for mishandling the economy.

Investors have largely shunned Egypt since 2011 when a popular uprising unseated autocrat president Hosni Mubarak.

A surge in militant attacks has also scared away tourists, hard-hitting Egypt’s tourism industry, a main source of foreign currency.

Last week, the Egyptian government floated the national currency in an effort to crush a booming black market for dollars.