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Annan's mystery visit to France

January 30, 2014 at 10:00 am

Egypt’s former Chief of Staff General Sami Annan’s sudden trip to France, while accompanied by members of his family, has stirred speculations about the trip’s timing; especially following the general’s confession that the military junta had committed mistakes while managing the country’s affairs between February 2011 and June 2012.


Sources close to Annan explained that the visit will last for only a few days and then he will return to Cairo. However, informed sources claim that Annan’s sudden trip might have to do with judiciary’s intention to investigate the general’s financial affairs as well as his involvement in the Battle of the Camel during the 25 January Revolution.

Annan’s silence on his plans to run for Egypt’s presidency has raised a lot of questions over his future at a time when Ahmed Shafiq, a former presidential candidate, announced that he would support Annan’s presidential bid despite the Military Supreme Council’s opposition led by Defence Minister General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who also plans to run for the office.

Mohammed Faraj, a spokesperson for Annan’s campaign, said “the General has left for France this morning with his daughter only. The rest of his family and his wife are still in Egypt. The General will return next Friday to refute all accusations against him.” He told Al-Masreyon news that: “the General has met with his campaign team and they will meet again upon his return to plan for his campaign.” Faraj added that the campaign now has two centres, in Heliopolis and Al-Matariya, and is recruiting volunteers.

Meanwhile, a founder of the “support the army campaign” attacked Annan by saying: “the General still tries to show himself as a hero after he justified killing innocent Egyptians in Mohamed Mahmoud Street, outside the Cabinet and at the Al-Baloon battle and other events, saying that civilian forces have turned against the country. Even worse, he cooperated with terrorists knowing very well that they were involved in storming the prisons during the revolution, collaborating with foreign countries to harm Egypt and murdering Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai. Your national duty was to protect them not to hand power over to the group that has killed them.”

He described Annan as a “trivial dark spot in the history of the great Egyptian army. Although some believe that his triumph will save the country from terrorism, this is what the Muslim Brotherhood wants. They want a military figure to run the country so they can protest against him, because if a civilian candidate wins Egypt’s presidency then there is nothing for them to protest.”