Egypt’s new leaders are under pressure to release Mohammad Morsi from detention. Deadly clashes occurred in which ten people were killed and dozens injured. Morsi’s family has vowed to sue the military for kidnapping the elected President. What is more significant is that calls for Morsi’s release have been issued by the US, Germany, the UN and the European Union. EU foreign ministers have said that it is now of utmost importance that Egypt embarks on a transition from a military to a civilian-led and democratically elected government. The Muslim Brotherhood movement has also vowed to sustain protests until Morsi is reinstated. It refuses to recognize the interim government installed by the military until the new elections.
The confused situation which has divided Egyptian society is pretty different from what happened in Libya for instance. It is comparable to the civil war in Syria though no military confrontation is on between pro and anti Morsi forces. The thing is that Morsi’s ouster has happened too soon. He had only one year to prove himself. It is also a fact that he was the first elected President of Egypt. A section of Egyptians agitated for his dismissal but it was the military which called the shots. Western democracies are allergic to a military coup. That explains the support that Morsi is receiving from the UN and the EU. Besides, the prevailing chaos until the next election will not help the shattered Egyptian economy to recover. The future of Egypt remains uncertain.