BICOM

Egypt’s military ruler, Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi yesterday announced his widely-anticipated candidacy in upcoming presidential elections, a poll he is expected to win with ease.

In a televised address, al-Sisi who led the military overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammed Morsi last summer, said that he would run for president following “the demand of a wide range of Egyptians who have called on me to run for this honourable office.” Although he acknowledged the “extremely difficult … economic, social, political and security realities,” al-Sisi declared, “I promise that we together, leadership and people, can achieve stability, safety and hope for Egypt.”

No date has yet been set for the election, but it is expected to take place by the summer. The only other confirmed candidate is leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi. Al-Sisi is widely considered a strong leader capable of bringing stability back to Egypt after several years of turmoil. He is expected to win easily.

Meanwhile, the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters which has characterised al-Sisi’s rule continued yesterday. The Egyptian state prosecutor announced two additional mass trials of 919 Islamists on various charges including murder during the violence which gripped Egypt in August following the overthrow of Morsi. Two similar trials took place this week with 529 Islamists sentenced to death for the killing of a single policeman.

Also yesterday, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that Egyptian authorities are building a three-metre high security barrier around the northern Sinai town of El-Arish, to protect it from the Islamist attacks that have plagued the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel. Egyptian forces have been attacked with regularity during this period and the southern Israeli port city of Eilat has also been targeted by rocket attacks. Meanwhile, the IDF reported yesterday that Egyptian forces have recently destroyed eight tunnels from the Gaza Strip into Sinai. Egypt’s authorities have accused Hamas, which rules Gaza, of providing Sinai Islamists with arms and personnel.