Engage in constructive dialogue, Obama tells Egyptians

{{US President Barack Obama called on Egypt’s government and opposition on Saturday to engage each other in constructive dialogue and prevent violence spilling out across the region.}}

Political violence on Friday killed three people, including an American student, and mass rallies are planned for Sunday aimed at unseating Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

Obama said he was “looking at the situation with concern”.

Hundreds have been wounded and at least eight killed in street fighting for over a week as political deadlock deepens. On Friday, a bomb killed a protester at a rally by the Suez Canal. Washington is pulling non-essential staff out of Egypt.

“Every party has to denounce violence,” Obama said at the other end of Africa, in Pretoria. “We’d like to see the opposition and President Mursi engage in a more constructive conversation about how they move their country forward because nobody is benefiting from the current stalemate.”

He added that it was “challenging, given there is not a tradition of democracy in Egypt”.

Mursi’s critics hope millions will march on Sunday when he marks a year in power to demand new elections. They accuse his Muslim Brotherhood of hijacking the revolution of 2011 and using its electoral majorities to monopolise power.

“Egypt is the largest country in the Arab world,” Obama said. “The entire region is concerned that, if Egypt continues with this constant instability, that has adverse effects more broadly.” US missions would be protected, he said. Last year, a consulate in Libya was overrun and Americans killed.

The Egyptian army, heavily funded by Washington since before Hosni Mubarak was overthrown, is on alert. It warned politicians it may step in if they lose control of the streets – an outcome some in the diffuse opposition coalition may quietly welcome, but to which Mursi’s Islamist allies might respond with force.

It is unclear how big the rallies will be or when they may start. Protest organisers said on Saturday a petition calling on Mursi to quit had 22 million signatures – over 40 per cent of the electorate and 7 million more than they announced 10 days ago.

{agencies}