After 30-years of rule and 18 days of popular protest, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak turned power over to the country’s military, bowing to the unrest that has gripped his nation and captivated the world. Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak had stepped down in a televised statement, and said that the higher council of the armed forces will lead the nation.
“In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country,” Suleiman said, according to the BBC.
“May God help everybody.”
Later on Friday, the military council issued a televised statement expressing “appreciation” to Mubarak for his service to the nation, and saying that it would be issuing further statements on the “measures and decisions” that will be taken going forward.
In the wake of Suleiman’s announcement, news channels showed footage of jubilant crowds chanting and cheering in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, which has been the focal point of the protests. The Times reported protesters chanting “Egypt is free!” (Listen to some of the sounds from Cairo, via the BBC, here.) Outside Egypt’s state television building, Reuters reported, “protesters shook hands with soldiers who had been stationed there to protect the building.”
Celebrations erupted not just in Egypt, but across the Middle East. The AP reported that from “Beirut to Gaza, people rushed into the streets, handing out candy, setting off fireworks and shooting in the air.” In Tunisia, which pushed out its own dictator just weeks ago, “cries of joy and the thundering honking of horns greeted the announcement.”
Speaking to Al-Jazeera English, Nobel laureate and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said: “My message to the Egyptian people is that you have gained your liberty, you have gained the right to catch up with the rest of the world – make the best use of it, and may god bless you. ”
According to a Reuters report, Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced that the country has frozen assets belonging to Mubarak.
“I can confirm that Switzerland has frozen possible assets of the former Egyptian president with immediate effect,” spokesman Lars Knuchel said. Knuchel did not specify how much money was involved.
In a statement, President Obama said Egypt would never be the same. He praised the peacefulness of the protesters, the restraint of the military and the emergence of a “new generation” with “boundless aspirations.” Obama also lauded the military for serving as “caretaker to the state,” but said that it would now have to “ensure” a transition that brings “all of Egypt’s voices to the table.”
“There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place,” Obama said. “This is one of those moments.”
Earlier on Friday, the Times said that the Egyptian military “appeared to assert its leadership… amid growing indications that President Hosni Mubarak was yielding all power.” The Associated Press reported that Mubarak had left Cario for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has a palace, and often spends time.
On Thursday, Mubarak gave a televised address to the nation in which he announced that he was transferring powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman. But Mubarak did not step down, as many had anticipated. Following the speech, the Egyptian ambassador to the U.S., Sameh Shoukry, told CNN that Mubarak was the “de jure head of state” of Egypt, while Suleiman had become the “de facto head.”
As Mubarak spoke last night, the massive crowd gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square grew more agitated. The Times reported that the crowds swelled on Friday, and that protesters “swarmed by the thousands into the streets.”
Watch a live feed from Tahrir Square:
Watch Suleiman’s statement:
