Military general who ruled Egypt after Mubarak ouster dies

CAIRO — Hussein Tantawi, the Egyptian wide who ruled the state pursuing the Arab Spring uprising that removed longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, died connected Tuesday, Egypt’s presidency said. He was 85.

Field Marshal Tantawi was Mubarak’s loyal defence curate for immoderate 20 years. But it was Tantawi who led the state aft the then-chief spy Omar Suliman announced connected authorities tv connected Feb. 11, 2011, that Mubarak was stepping down aft the 18 days of protestation against his government.

Tantawi went connected to seat the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took power. Under his leadership, the subject strengthened its choky grip connected the country, outlawing dissent, and mostly returned to utilizing the aforesaid tactics that were successful spot nether Mubarak and that protesters had decried.

Born successful October 1935, Tantawi, who suffered from age-related wellness problems successful caller months, died successful a infirmary successful Cairo, according to a idiosyncratic adjacent to his family, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to speech to the media.

His decease came 19 months aft Mubarak died successful a Cairo subject infirmary successful February past year.

Tantawi, appointed defence curate successful 1991, ran Egypt for 17 months until the predetermination successful June 2012 of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s archetypal democratically elected leader.

Morsi removed Tantawi and the country’s main of staff, Sami Enan, successful August that year, pursuing a deadly militant onslaught successful the Sinai Peninsula.

Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, present president, was the caput of the subject quality astatine the time. Morsi named el-Sissi defence minister, replacing Tantawi, his longtime mentor. El-Sissi would yet oversee Morsi’s removal from powerfulness successful 2013, amid much thoroughfare protests against the Islamist’s little rule.

Under Tantawi and el-Sissi, rights groups person accused the country’s information apparatus of repeated violations, including the targeting of protesters and the apprehension and detention of governmental absorption members and dissenting citizens.