Egypt's president, speaking ahead of next week's anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak, vowed on Saturday, Jan 23, to unleash a firm response to any unrest and to press ahead with the fight against Islamic militants, the Associated Press reports.
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi spoke at a ceremony marking Police Day, which falls on Jan 25, the day the uprising began five years ago.
He awarded medals to the families of nearly 40 policemen killed in militant attacks, including eight generals and three colonels. Most of the widows received the medals while accompanied by their children, including infants. El-Sissi, his eyes frequently welling up, carried the infants, hugged and kissed older children and posed with them for photos.
Addressing the nation, el-Sissi said of those killed in terror attacks: "Don't let their blood go in vain and, by the way, we will not allow that ourselves, and I am saying that so everyone listens and takes note."
"The security and stability of nations are not to be toyed with," he said, adding that the security of Egypt was the responsibility of all Egyptians, not just the police and the army.
El-Sissi, who as military chief overthrew in 2013 Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, has presided over a sweeping crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of Islamists and scores of secular, pro-democracy activists who fuelled the 2011 uprising. He was elected to office in 2014 with a landslide.
