Death toll of Egyptian protests at 365 as anti-government rallies continue across region
Posted February 16, 2011 3:01 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As anti-government demonstrations continue across North Africa and the Middle East, Egypt is discovering some of the costs of its recent uprising.
The country’s health ministry says at least 365 people were killed during the 18-day protests that saw President Hosni Mubarak step down after 30 years in power. The death toll does not include police or prisoners.
In Tunisia, a similar uprising saw President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali step down on January 14.
Meanwhile, in recent days, other countries in the region have begun to follow suit.
Anti-government protesters in Yemen are clashing with those loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh – who has offered to step down in 2013 and said he would speak with the opposition.
In Algeria, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets. That country has been under a state of emergency for the past 19 years and Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said Wednesday that could be lifted by the end of February.
Libya, Bahrain, and Iran have also seen large, public, anti-government demonstrations.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says America will back any peaceful effort for greater political, economic and social openness in repressive societies.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Rogers’ radio’s Cormac MacSweeney he was cautiously optimistic as Egypt takes major steps towards democracy.
“Everybody is very excited about the transition that’s happened so far,” he said, adding Canada will work with its allies to assist the country in any way and it’s important Egyptians move quickly and safely away from Mubarak’s dictatorship.
With files from Agence France Press, The Associated Press, and Reuters.
