Egypt gives Mogae sleepless nights
Bame Piet | Thursday June 19, 2014 06:59
The foundation funds about 500 students from Botswana.
Mogae returns on Sunday after which he will fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday to present a final report on the 2013 turmoil in Egypt.
Mogae along with two other former heads of state Alpha Konare of Mali and Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Djiboutian prime minister were assigned to mediate between the warring parties last July.
However, the flight to Addis may not be a pleasant one as he is spending sleepless nights over Egypt and should share with the African Union the situation there.
AU should thereafter consider whether or not to lift its suspension of Egypt. “It is depressing, really depressing,” he said during a brief meeting with Mmegi at Sir Seretse Khama Airport just before his departure.
According to the former president, the current situation in Egypt is worse than during Mubarak’s time in that the government has banned the independent press, political parties, and that the military courts are just sentencing people to death or long term jail terms without dues process.
“Whereas it is true that Morsi was a dictator like other Egyptian presidents, in his case he was the first democratically elected president after 60 years, while others were military presidents.
Yes, he allowed his people to burn churches, and other unpopular things, which the young people who removed Mubarak did not want”.
He said that all private media that is not pro-government has been closed down, and opposition especially the Muslim Brotherhood were not allowed to take part in the past elections.
He said that the Egyptians were not happy with Morsi’s rule but the military drew a plan that was neither inclusive nor fair.
He said that the Egyptian society is so polarised and democracy has diminished to naught.