UN Secretary-General calls for end of violence in Egypt

UN Secretary-General calls for end of violence in Egypt

2011-01-27 06:24:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO, EGYPT (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for end of violence in Egypt after clashes between thousands of protesters and police forces.

Ban urged all Egyptians to ensure that political protests do not lead to further violence and called on the government to use this as an opportunity to address the legitimate concerns of the people, according to his spokesperson Martin Nesirky.

The daily Al-Ahram newspaper reported that police forces and state security forces clashed with thousands of Egyptians in downtown Cairo who defied the government's official warnings.

Several protestors gathered in different locations in downtown Cairo after demonstrations calls were spread on social media sites. The government led by President Hosni Mubarak cracked down on Internet tools, blocking Twitter, Facebook and a number of Egyptian news websites.

However, the "Day of Anger" protests seem to continue for several more days. On Tuesday, dozens of people were injured in clashes with police forces across Egypt. Law agents fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the thousands of demonstrators.

"The UN is closely following the evolving protests and tensions in Egypt and the broader region," added Nesirky. "The UN will continue to monitor the situation in Egypt and in other parts of the region and stands ready to help."

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