Brotherhood vows to continue protests as PM plans cabinet

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood yesterday vowed to maintain "peaceful" resistance to the ousting of president Mohamed Morsi as the corpse of a decapitated Coptic Christian man believed slain by radical fundamentalists was found in Sinai five days after he was kidnapped.

To renew their demand for Mr Morsi’s reinstatement a few hundred Brotherhood supporters marched from the vast encampment established near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Nasr City to Ittihadiya presidential palace and returned, without incident.

The Brotherhood has reportedly proclaimed the camp, established nearly two weeks ago, an “Islamic state” and urged residents who are dwelling in tents and under awnings to remain.

Priest murdered
The latest Coptic victim was the second Christian to be killed in Sinai. Last Saturday a priest was murdered as he was shopping.

On Wednesday gunmen fired at the car of a senior army commander and on Tuesday two policemen died in an attack by militants on a checkpoint.

A source with military connections told The Irish Times there were hundreds of radical veterans of the Afghan wars in Sinai, where security has collapsed since the fall of president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

In Alexandria, two Muslim Brotherhood members have been detained for 15 days and charged with murder for throwing two teenage boys off a water tank on a rooftop.

One was beaten to death as he lay unconscious; the other sustained serious injuries. They had been celebrating Mr Morsi’s removal. The incident was recorded by onlookers and went viral on the internet, causing widespread revulsion. The accused have admitted the crime.

Caretaker prime minister Hazem El-Beblawi said the new cabinet could be formed by Sunday, and did not rule out posts for qualified Brotherhood candidates. The Brotherhood has said it will not participate.

'Undemocratic'
Foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdel-Latty said the US assessment that the Brotherhood's rule was "undemocratic" reflected the "realisation" that recent political developments embodied "the will of millions of Egyptians who took to the streets starting June 30th to ask for their legitimate rights and ask for early elections."

Kuwait became the third Gulf country to provide aid after the fall of Mr Morsi, adding $4 billion to Saudi and UAE pledges totalling $8 billion.