Egyptian citizens can expect a major change in the quality of Interior Ministry personnel soon, Interior Minister Ahmed Gamal Eddin pledged on Friday.
The statement comes on the fourth day of clashes between protesters and Central Security Forces in the vicinity of the US Embassy in Cairo. Commentators have accused the ministry of failing to contain the situation.
"The coming period will witness a qualitative leap in security, which will be positively reflected on the Egyptian street. The ministry will continue its efforts and expand its crackdowns nationwide until security and stability returns to the country," Gamal Eddin said.
On Friday the minister met with the Secretary General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers Mohamed bin Ali Kuman. The two officials met to discuss how to coordinate between the Egyptian Interior Ministry and the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior, and ways to develop joint Arab actions in the context of the security challenges and political changes currently facing the Arab world.
Since former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster last February, Egypt has witnessed several protests that began peacefully but then turned into bloody clashes between protesters and security forces.
Protesters say the problem of police brutality has not changed since the time of the Mubarak regime.
Police brutality, corruption and torture were some of the major problems that fueled the start of the 25 January revolution. The police were notorious under Mubarak for torturing suspects to death and committing various human rights violations.
During the transitional period, human rights activists called for a new curriculum to be implemented in Egypt’s police academies that would focus on respecting human rights and democratic practices. A number of interior ministers have promised to update police education since the revolution, but these promises as yet remain unfulfilled.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
