News Analysis: Violence impedes Egypt's reconciliation, political process

CAIRO (Xinhua) - The recent escalation of domestic violence in Egypt impedes the reconciliation efforts in the turmoil-stricken country following the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, say Egyptian analysts.

According to official reports, at least 75 were killed and 748 others were injured in overnight clashes that erupted Friday and continued until the early hours of Saturday over the ouster of Morsi.

However, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group of the ousted president as well as medical reports from the field hospital at Rabia al-Adawiya Square, where Morsi's supporters staged an open-ended sit-in since June 28, said at least 200 supporters were killed and over 4,500 injured in their clashes with security forces.

Although the newly-formed transitional government initiated a new ministry for transitional justice and national reconciliation, observers and analysts believe the escalating violence narrows the already slim chances for the desired rapprochement.

"Even before the recent violence, the chances for national reconciliation after Morsi's ouster were fragile as the Brotherhood's main condition was the return of the deposed president," Mostafa Kamel al-Sayed, political science professor at Cairo University, told Xinhua.

The interior ministry blames the MB for the overnight tragedy, saying they incited confrontations early Saturday by attempting to camp outside a military premise and block a main bridge, which led to clashes between them and residents of the nearby Mansheyet Nasser district.

In response, Islamists pointed fingers at the interior ministry and the security forces, holding them responsible for the bloodshed.

Sayed expected "the reconciliation door to remain closed" until one of the parties provides a compromise that appeals to the other.

"The main problem is that the MB does not realize they are in real trouble," the professor added, arguing the group faces rejection of a lot of Egyptians, as well as main state institutions including the armed forces, the police, the judiciary and a lot of media outlets.

"The group attempts to use its victims in protests to achieve political gains, win sympathy of many Egyptians and get international support to pressure and embarrass the current interim government," Sayed explained, ruling out the possibility that the MB was willing to provide any compromise for reconciliation.

On Saturday, Al-Azhar, the most prestigious institution for Sunni Muslims in Egypt and worldwide, strongly condemned the overnight bloodshed.

"Al-Azhar condemns such bloody acts that would ruin for Egyptian wise people all their reconciliation efforts and attempts to bridge the gap and reunite Egyptians as one civilized nation," Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, said in a statement.

For his part, Ahmed Baan, political researcher at Nile Center for Strategic Studies, said that if the violence and the deteriorating security conditions continue, "it will negatively affect the political process in Egypt."

"The confrontation technique used by the Brotherhood and dragging the security forces to strongly respond may lead to the delay of the roadmap outlined by the army following Morsi's ousting," he told Xinhua.

Following Morsi's ouster earlier this month, the Armed Forces Chief and Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced a future roadmap for the country, including a six-month-long transitional government to be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections.

Baan warned that escalating violence would not only threaten national reconciliation but also undermine the political, economic and security conditions in general.

"If violence gets out of control for normal security forces, it will lead the armed forces to interfere to maintain security and stability," Baan told Xinhua.

He advised the Brotherhood to realize that the political struggle has its own "democratic techniques" and that the majority of Egyptians supported the military's roadmap for the country's future.

"Times do not go backward and Islamists should favor the country's common good over short-term personal and factional interests."