UN chief urges Egyptians to address differences through dialogue

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Saturday strongly condemned "the upsurge of violence" in Egypt following the latest protests, and called on the Egyptian people to "address their differences through dialogue."

"The secretary-general strongly condemns the upsurge of violence in Egypt that has left scores dead and hundreds injured, following protests on Friday and Saturday," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

Ban "expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the wounded a speedy recovery," the statement said.

The secretary-general also appealed to all the people of Egypt to address their differences through dialogue and renewed his calls to all parties to engage in an inclusive and meaningful reconciliation process.

At least 47 were killed and over 700 injured in overnight clashes between supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and security forces, official MENA news agency reported Saturday quoting a health ministry report.

The report said 38 were killed in clashes near Rabaa al-Adaweya mosque in Nasr City in the capital Cairo; eight others were killed in Alexandria; and another one was killed in Fayoum, southwest of Cairo.

The police and Muslim Brotherhood (MB) have exchanged accusations over the responsibility for the deadly confrontations.

"The secretary-general underlines that violence is not a substitute for a political solution and, therefore, calls on all Egyptian leaders to put the interest of Egypt above all individual, group and political interests," the statement said.

Ban urged that Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders currently in detention be immediately released or have their cases reviewed in full transparency.

He called on the interim authorities to assume full responsibility for the peaceful management of the demonstrations and ensure the protection of all Egyptians.

While calling on Egypt's security forces to act with full respect for human rights, including guaranteeing the rights to free speech and assembly, the UN chief also urged the demonstrators to exercise restraint and preserve the peaceful nature of their protests.