New interior minister took office pledging to take all necessary measures to restore confidence between citizens and the police a day after protesters stormed several state security buildings
A new Egyptian interior minister took office on Sunday pledging to take all necessary measures to restore confidence between citizens and the police a day after protesters stormed several state security buildings.
In an acceptance statement carried by the state MENA news agency, Mansur al-Issawi promised to make "every effort in the coming period to restore security and stability in the Egyptian street."
Egypt on Sunday named Nabil al-Arabi foreign minister to replace Ahmed Abul Gheit, MENA news agency reported, in the latest move to purge the cabinet of members of Mubarak's regime. "Nabil al-Arabi said he has accepted the foreign ministry portfolio during this critical time in the history of Egypt," the state-run news agency said.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who was appointed on Thursday after demonstrations against the presence of associates of Hosni Mubarak in the caretaker government running affairs since the former president's departure, named Issawi late on Saturday, the government's Facebook page said.
Issawi replaces Mahmud Wagdi, who was appointed by Mubarak in the dying days of his three-decade rule in a vain bid to appease mass protests demanding he step down. Wagdi in turn replaced Habib al-Adly, the long feared head of Egypt's internal security apparatus who went on trial on Saturday on corruption charges. He pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Protesters attacked several state security buildings on Friday and Saturday trying to retrieve files kept on the population by the security police, who have long been accused of human rights abuses. Hundreds more tried to barge their way into another state security building in the Cairo suburb of Sheikh Zayed, where guards inside fired into the air to try to disperse the crowd.
In the northwestern city of Mersa Matruh, protesters surged into the state security headquarters, gathering up thousands of documents before setting the building on fire.
