Egypt since its revolution
CAIRO: Key developments in Egypt since its January 2011 uprising that brought down President Hosni Mubarak who ruled for three decades.
On January 25, 2011, massive anti-Mubarak protests erupt after a revolt topples Tunisia’s ruler in what becomes known as the Arab Spring. On February 1, more than one million demonstrators take to the streets of Egypt, with a great flood of people congregating in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. On February 11, Mubarak resigns and hands power to the army, which suspends the constitution and dissolves parliament. About 850 people die in clashes with security forces during 18 days of revolt.
From November 2011 to January 2012, Egypt holds post-revolt parliamentary elections. Islamists win about two-thirds of the seats, half of which go to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In June, parliament is dissolved when a court rules it is illegal. On June 30, 2012, Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi is elected president with 51.7 percent of the vote. He becomes Egypt’s first freely-elected civilian and Islamist leader. In August, Morsi replaces Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi with military intelligence chief Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Morsi ousted, Sisi in power
On July 3, 2013, Sisi ousts Morsi after massive protests against his one-year rule and freezes the Islamist-drafted constitution. Morsi denounces a “coup” as authorities launch a crackdown against his supporters. On August 14, security forces move against two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo, killing at least 700 people. Since Morsi’s removal, at least 1,400 people have been killed in a police crackdown on protests, mostly Islamists. Tens of thousands of Morsi’s supporters have been arrested and hundreds, including Morsi himself, sentenced to death. In December, the government declares the Brotherhood a “terrorist” organization. On June 8, Sisi is sworn in as president having won 96.9 percent of a vote boycotted by the Brotherhood and secular dissidents. In late 2015, a new parliament dominated by supporters of Sisi is elected.
Jihadist unrest, IMF loan
On February 10, 2015, during a visit to Cairo by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cairo and Moscow agree to jointly build Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. On February 16, Cairo carries out air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in neighboring Libya after a graphic video is released showing the beheading there of 21 Christians, almost all Egyptian Copts. On October 31, a Russian passenger plane blows up in the Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. IS says it smuggled a bomb on board, while Moscow says an investigation has found that the plane was brought down by a bomb.
The jihadist group’s Egyptian affiliate, which operates mostly in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers. On December 16, Saudi Arabia pledges a total of $8 billion in investment and aid to Egypt, along with petrol supplies, over the next five years. On January 10, 2016, Egypt’s new parliament convenes in its first session since the legislature was dissolved in 2012, after a legislative election dominated by pro-government candidates in the absence of any opposition. On November 3, Egypt’s central bank floats the currency, leading to a sharp devaluation of the pound against the US dollar. The move comes amid economic reforms to meet conditions for Egypt to obtain a $12-billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. On November 12, the IMF approves the loan.