Obama offered to help Egypt on its way to democracy

US President Barack Obama said that changes are beginning in Egypt, and that the departure of Hosni Mubarak from power is just the beginning.

Obama offered help "on the road to democracy and called on the Egyptian army to ensure peace."

"By leaving power, President Hosni Mubarak responded to the people's hunger for change. But this is not the end of Egypt's transition, but the beginning," Obama said.

"There will certainly be difficult days ahead of them, there are many questions that need to be answered, but I am convinced that the people of Egypt can find an answer, peacefully, constructively and in the spirit of unity, as in the past two weeks".

Obama praised the Egyptian military for serving "patriotically and responsibly as the guardian of the state and now must ensure that the transition is credible in the eyes of the people."

Obama said this means:

• protection of the rights of all citizens,
• lifting of the state of emergency,
• amending the constitution and other laws to make the changes irreversible,
• determining a clear path to free elections.

"Furthermore, that transition must bring all of Egypt's voices to the table," Obama said.

"We are ready to provide assistance where necessary, and where we are asked..." Obama said.

"The Egyptians inspired us by choosing non-violence," he said.

Huge celebration

After almost 30 years in power, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned under the pressure of millions of citizens who demonstrated on the streets of Cairo and major cities for three weeks demanding his resignation. After the announcement on state television that Mubarak had decided to resign, citizens in the central Cairo Square Tahrir started celebrating. They shout "Egypt is free, Egypt is free". The decision that Mubarak resigns was announced by the country's vice president, Omar Suleiman, who also stated that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will take over the duties of the head of state. Tahrir Square was the scene of the previous days of the fiercest clashes between Mubarak's supporters and demonstrators who demanded Mubarak's resignation. In the previous 18 days, since the beginning of mass demonstrations against Mubarak, according to Human Rights Watch, more than 300 people were killed. Mubarak came to power on October 14, 1981 and he ruled the country continuously for almost 30 years.

In the recent political history of Egypt, he is the person who ruled the country for the longest time.

The Egyptian Minister of Defense greeted the protesters

Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantaoui greeted a crowd celebrating the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak outside the presidential palace in Cairo. Tantaoui heads the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces, the body of military officials who took over the leadership of the country after Mubarak's resignation. Protesters outside the presidential palace are recognized him when he was passing by in a civilian vehicle and accompanied by two other cars.

He stopped briefly, got out of the car and greeted and thanked the group that congratulated him. Most of the protesters welcomed the army taking control of Egypt after it had previously promised to oversee the implementation of reforms and the preparation of free elections.

Mubarak in Sharm El Sheikh

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has left Cairo and is in Sharm el-Sheikh, said the spokesman of the country's ruling party, the Democratic National Party. news western official.

Mubarak has a residence in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

ElBaradei: My best day in my life

One of the leaders of the Egyptian opposition, Mohamed ElBaradei, welcomed the resignation of the country's president, Hosni Mubarak (82), saying that today is the "best day" of his life. "This is the best day of my life. The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he said. said ElBaradei for the AP agency. That dissident, who is also a Nobel Prize winner, said that he expects a "nice" transition of power.

Ashton: Mubarak listened to the voice of the people

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton welcomed the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who "listened to the voice of the Egyptian people" and thus enabled "faster and more comprehensive reforms". By leaving power, Mubarak "listened to the voice of the Egyptian people and opened the way for faster and deeper reforms," ​​Ashton assessed in the announcement. "It is important to speed up the dialogue for the creation of a government that will respect the people's demands," she pointed out. "Respecting human rights and basic freedoms is essential. All abuses should be the subject of investigations." , specified the head of European diplomacy.

Switzerland freezes Mubarak's bank accounts

The Swiss government has frozen all assets in that country of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and members of his family. Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Lars Knutzel said, without giving details on the amount of money and other assets Mubarak's family has in Switzerland, that the decree took effect immediately. .He said this while protesters in Cairo celebrated the departure of Mubarak from power.

The decree also prohibits the sale of property, especially immovable property. Earlier this week, Swiss Finance Minister Widmer Schlumpf said on SF television that the local authorities do not know whether Mubarak has money in Swiss banks, but that the investigation is ongoing and that the government will then respond. react. She said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is conducting an investigation. According to data from the Swiss National Bank, at the end of 2009, deposits of Egyptian citizens and companies in Swiss banks totaled 3,6 billion Swiss francs (about 3,5 billion dollars).