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El-Sissi: 'No leniency"

June 8, 2014

Egypt's new president Fattah el-Sissi has promised reconciliation with political opponents, after being sworn in. However, the ex-army chief said there would be no leniency for those "with blood on their hands."

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Image: picture-alliance/dpa

El-Sissi said on Sunday that there would be no reconciliation with Islamists waging attacks against the government, but said the path was open to dialogue with political opponents.

The former head of the military also made an appeal to secular youth activists, many of whom boycotted the presidential election last month accusing el-Sissi's government of being too authoritarian.

El-Sissi, who ousted Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi in July last year, vowed he would take a firm line against anyone involved in violent acts, without specifically mentioning the Muslim Brotherhood.

"There will be reconciliation between the sons of our nation except those who had committed crimes against them or adopted violence," said el-Sissi. "There will be no acquiescence or laxity shown to those who resorted to violence."

"Vanquishing terrorism and fulfilling security top my priorities," he said.

Appeal to Arab Spring spirit

In his speech, el-Sissi included references to "freedom, social justice and bread," slogans that figured heavily in the January 2011 uprising that toppled former ruler Hosni Mubarak.

As el-Sissi spoke, dozens of Morsi supporters blocked a road into central Cairo according to the state-run newspaper al-Ahram, which said officers had used tear gas to disperse the protest.

El-Sissi also spoke earlier as he was sworn into office at the presidential palace in Cairo. A gathering of foreign dignitaries was present, including the kings of Bahrain and Jordan, the emir of Kuwait and the Saudi crown prince,. Oil-rich gulf states have committed some $20 billion to Egypt since Morsi was overthrown.

El-Sissi, a former defense minister as well as head of the military, is said to have won almost 97 percent of the vote in elections that took place at the end of May. The Muslim Brotherhood has refused to recognize el-Sissi and the military-backed government that toppled Morsi in July last year, with many of its supporters refusing to take part in the poll.

rc/crh (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)