PM warns protestors

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli has warned that his government would not allow protesters to spread 'chaos' after small rallies erupted against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last month. The rare protests broke out in defiance of a ban on demonstrations after an exiled Egyptian businessman in Spain accused the president and the military of rampant corruption. A report on the News24 site notes that the rallies calling for Sisi's removal briefly struck a chord with Egyptians who have been bearing the brunt of stringent economic reforms introduced in 2016. Madbouli denounced the protests as part of an external 'brutal war' designed to create 'confusion'. He also warned of the dangers of any future large-scale dissent. Parliament has approved amendments to the constitution that could keep al-Sisi in power until 2030. The reform must still be endorsed in a referendum which, if approved, would lengthen the country's presidential terms.