Egypt PM Apologises For Violence

Egypt PM Apologises For Violence

Egypt's prime minister has apologised for the fighting between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square, in which five people were killed and several hundred wounded.

Ahmed Shafiq pledged to investigate the violence, calling it a "fatal error" .

Pre-dawn gunfire lasted for two hours as anti-government demonstrators tried to stay in control of the square, demanding that President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled for 30 years, step down immediately.

Egypt's Health Minister, Ahmed Samy Farid, said earlier that five people had died in the fighting, which began on Wednesday and 836 were injured - mostly as the result of stone throwing and attacks with metal rods and sticks.

Fatal error

"This is a fatal error, when investigations reveal who is behind this crime and who allowed it to happen, I promise they will be held accountable and will be punished for what they did. There is no excuse whatsoever to attack peaceful protesters, and that is why I am apologising," Mr Shafiq told the privately-owned al-Hayat television .

He urged the protesters "to go home to help end this crisis" .

Mr. Mubarak has said that he will serve out his current presidential term, which ends in September, but will not run for re-election.

Egyptian opposition leader, Mohamed El-Baradei and the Muslim Brotherhood have rejected government calls for negotiations, saying Mr. Mubarak must leave office first.

Calls for political transition

Meanwhile, the leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain issued a joint statement condemning the violence and calling for a political transition that "must start now" .

In Cairo's worst violence in 10 days of protests on Thursday, there was gunfire with ambulances on site and people being dragged out as stones and Molotov cocktails were being thrown.

Opposition supporters say many in the pro-government camp were paid by the authorities to demonstrate, and allowed into the square by the troops surrounding it.

The two sides pelted each other with stones in running battles lasting for hours.

Reports say the unrest has left about 300 people dead across the country, according to UN estimates.

Clashes were also reported in Egypt's second city, Alexandria

Evacuation of foreign citizens and personnel

The US has urged all Americans in Egypt to leave "immediately" .

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, told Egyptian Vice-President Omar Suleiman in a phone call on Wednesday that the clashes were a "shocking development" after days of peaceful protests.

She also "underscored the important role that the Egyptian armed forces have played in exercising restraint in the face of peaceful demonstrations" , the state department said in a statement.

The White House, as much as the pro-democracy protesters, is demanding “Mubarak must go”

No fewer than 500 Nigerians returned from Egypt early on Thursday and were received by the Foreign Affairs Minister for State Hajia Salamatu Suleiman at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The returnees, made up of students, government officials, businessmen and others had been ordered to leave Egypt by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan following continued political unrest.

The violence has also drawn condemnation from British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"If it turns out that the regime in any way has sponsored or tolerated this violence, that is completely unacceptable," he said after meeting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in London.

“Mr Ban said any attack against the peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable and I strongly condemn it." Brown said.

If Mr. Mubarak does not step down, demonstrators have planned to march on the presidential palace on Friday.

Internet services were returning to the country, having been cut off for days by the government.

NAN/BBC/Margaret/Yinka