Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, on Thursday vowed to protect the country from those who “want to drive Egypt to chaos,” in reference to continuous protests by supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi, reported Al Arabiya.
In his first speech to the nation, Mansour said Egypt is going through a decisive stage in its history where some want to drag the country into the “unknown” and cause chaos.
“They want this period to be an introduction to violence and we want it to establish for the concept of protecting lives and reaffirming human rights,” Mansour said, according to Al Arabiya.
He stressed that his government is committed to realizing security and stability.
Mansour's speech comes a day ahead of a massive rally by supporters of Morsi, who was overthrown in a popular-backed coup two weeks ago.
The military has warned against violence in Friday’s protests.
On Tuesday, the new Egyptian Cabinet was sworn in, as Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood rejected its legitimacy.
The cabinet lineup does not include any members from Islamist groups or parties, even from the Salafist Nour party, which supported the military roadmap for transition.
Interim prime minister Hazem al-Beblawi said last week he would offer the Muslim Brotherhood ministerial positions in the transitional government in Egypt, but the Islamist group refused. A spokesman for the movement said, “We don’t recognize its legitimacy or its authority.”
Protests and clashes have been a regular occurrence in Egypt since the military ousted Morsi earlier this month after days of protests calling on him to go. In one of the deadliest incidents last week, 51 people died and 435 were injured in clashes between the Egyptian army and pro-Morsi protesters at the Republican Guard headquarters.
Following the deadly clashes, the Muslim Brotherhood called for an “uprising” in Egypt.