• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

UN chief reiterates call for calm, orderly transition in Egypt

11 February 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reiterated his call for a transparent, orderly and peaceful transition in Egypt that includes free and fair elections, adding that it is for the people of that country to determine their future.

Mr. Ban’s call comes after President Hosni Mubarak announced on Thursday that he will hand over some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman but that he will not leave office, as demanded by thousands of protesters over the past several weeks.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a transparent, orderly and peaceful transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people and includes free, fair and credible elections,” his spokesperson said in a statement issued last night.

“He emphasizes that it is for the Egyptian people to determine their future,” the statement added.

In addition, Mr. Ban called again for any transition to fully respect human rights, and to ensure genuine and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders. He also expressed the UN’s readiness to assist in the process.

“The Secretary-General calls once again on the Egyptian leadership to continue to ensure freedom of speech and assembly, and urges all parties to exercise calm and restraint and to refrain from violence,” said the statement.

In a related development, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that amid the continuing political turmoil in Egypt, the agency has been working through key partners to provide financial support and medical help to refugees in Cairo while its staff have been manning telephone hotlines from their homes.

UNHCR’s partner on the ground in Egypt, Caritas, is distributing financial help and offering medical support to refugees in Cairo who are particularly vulnerable at this time. There are 107,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt of which 39,680 are registered with UNHCR. Most refugees come from Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.