The British foreign secretary William Hague on Wednesday expressed his concern about “unacceptable violence” in Egypt, calling for an immediate end to the use of live fire and tear gas against demonstrators. In an official statement released by the United Kingdom Foreign Office, Hague said: “I am deeply concerned by the unacceptable violence and loss of life which has taken place around Tahrir Square in Cairo and in other parts of Egypt. I am particularly concerned by reports of dangerous forms of gas being used against protesters as well as live ammunition. Our thoughts are with all those who have been injured or bereaved. “I call on the Egyptian authorities to respect the right of peaceful protest and immediately to cease the use of violence against protestors, including live fire and the use of gas. All those who are responsible for such disproportionate violence against peaceful protesters must be held to account. “I also call for the release of all those detained for peacefully expressing their views and urge the authorities to make good on their promises to end to military trials for civilians.” Hague expressed his support for the Egyptian electoral process, saying that the UK “remains committed to supporting the transition to democracy in Egypt in any way we can.” The statement seemed to indicate that the British government was less than fully satisfied with the steps being taken by Egypt's military leadership, as Hague “recognised” rather than welcoming the contents of Tuesday's speech by Supreme Council of the Armed Forces chair Field Marshal Muhammad Hussein Tantawi. Meanwhile French foreign minister Alain Juppé, responding to a question in the Assemblée Nationale, described the situation in Egypt as “extremely worrying,” adding that the French government had expressed “its concern and its condemnation of the violence, and has called for dialogue and above all the continuation of the electoral process.” Noting Tantawi's statement, Juppé said that “this movement towards transfer of power to civilian authorities is what we support.” BM
