The reign of Egypt’s first Islamist president came to an end late on Wednesday after he was pushed aside by the military.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, the defence minister, announced the suspension of the country’s constitution and that the head of the supreme court would be sworn in as president. A technocratic government would also be set to prepare for new presidential elections, he said.
The end of Mohamed Morsi’s presidency elicited roars of approval by tens of thousands flooding Tahrir Square, but immediately plunged the world’s largest Arab nation into a new era of uncertainty two-and-a-half years after a popular uprising led to the ouster of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.