Nigeria Content Online

Troops took control
of Tahrir Square, the fulcrum of protests that swept Hosni Mubarak from
power, to allow traffic through central Cairo on Sunday, as military
rulers struggled to get life in Egypt back to normal.

There were heated
rows in Tahrir Square on whether to keep up protests or comply with
army orders to help put Egypt back on its feet. “The people want the
square cleared,” one group chanted. “We will not leave, we will not
leave,” replied another.

The Arab world’s
most populous country was taking its first tentative steps toward
democracy and protest organisers were forming a Council of Trustees to
defend the revolution and urge swift reform from a military intent on
restoring law and order.

Police officers
gathered to demand higher pay and a security guard said warning shots
were fired in the air. No one was hurt, however. Earlier, troops, some
wielding sticks, pushed protesters aside to reopen Tahrir square to
traffic.

“Revolution continues”

Protest leaders
want the immediate release of political prisoners, the lifting of a
state of emergency used by Mubarak to crush opposition and dissent, the
closure of military courts, fair elections, and a swift handover of
power to civilians.

Despite Mubarak’s
resignation, some protesters have said they plan to stay in the square
to ensure the military council keeps its promises on transition. They
plan a big demonstration next Friday to celebrate the revolution and
honour those killed.

The Higher Military
Council has given no timetable for a transition, but tried to reassure
with a statement on Saturday affirming a commitment to democracy and
its treaties, aimed particularly at Israel with which Egypt has a peace
treaty.

The military is
expected on Monday to ban meetings by labour unions or professional
syndicates, effectively forbidding strikes, and to tell all Egyptians
to get back to work. On Saturday, the army said it would uphold Egypt’s
international obligations.

These include a peace treaty with Israel, whose defence minister has
been in touch with his Egyptian counterpart, who heads the military
council. Interior minister, Mahmoud Wagdy, has said Egypt needs “the
speedy return of the police to duty,” saying 13,000 inmates who escaped
from prison early in the uprising were still on the run.