World leaders voice concern over Egypt's violence, call for self-restraint

Leaders of many countries have on Wednesday voiced profound concern about violence in Egypt and called disputing parties to practice self-restraint. Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said he is concerned over the rapid developments of the situation in Egypt, which portends further deterioration. In a press statement, he urged all parties the greatest restraint and to return to the negotiating table to reach a national consensus and achieving peace. Ihsanoglu voiced deep regret at the casualties that have fallen in the events taking place in Egypt. At least 278 people were killed, including 43 policemen, and over 2000 injured in military-backed police crackdown on pro-ousted president Mohamed Morsi protesters. Russia urged all political forces in Egypt to show restraint in the current crisis, the Foreign Ministry said. "At this time of hardships that Egypt is living through we reiterate our call to all political forces in this friendly country to show restraint and take guidance from the highest national interests in order to prevent further escalation of tension and avoid new casualties," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. It expressed confidence that "further democratic changes and deep reforms in the interests of all Egyptians can be carried out through broad dialogue and resumption of the political process on the basis of national consensus." Spain echoed a similar view. The Spanish Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for self-restraint and quick restoration of democratic process. Meanwhile, Sudan condemned acts of violence at the clearing of protest sit-ins at a number of public squares in Egypt, in a way that led to the death of scores of Egyptians, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement carried by the state news agency (SUNA). Sudan has renewed its call to the Egyptian government and all the political parties in Egypt to return to the negotiation cable and adhere to the peaceful means for reaching solutions, instead of the acts of violence, fighting and blood-shed. In Tunis, Rachid Ghannouchi, president of Tunisia's governing Ennahda party, described the crackdown on Egyptian protesters an "abject crime." "The putchist authorities in Egypt have committed a massacre against peaceful protesters," he said in a statement. "The Ennahda movement follows with pain and horror this abject crime... against the people and its revolution," he said, expressing solidarity with the pro-Morsi backers' bid to "recover their freedom and oppose the coup d'etat." Moroccan Foreign Ministry said, in a press statement, that Morocco moved and dismayed by the violence in Egypt. Morocco also deplored human losses in Egypt.