Clashes in Egypt as Ashton Meets Brotherhood Leaders

Local Editor

A high school student was killed when opponents and supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi clashed in the city of Suez on Wednesday night, medical and security sources said.

The two sides exchanged gun fire and threw petrol bombs after supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi chanted anti-army slogans as they marched in the city, the sources said.
Abdullah Mohamed Attia, 17, died from a bullet wound, the state news agency reported, after both sides exchanged gunfire and threw petrol bombs. The student was a supporter of Mursi, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party said in a statement.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catharine Ashton, is in Cairo this week to encourage reconciliation between the Brotherhood and the government installed after the army removed Mursi on July 3 following mass protests against his rule.
Ashton has met with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood leaders in a closed-door meeting aimed at reconciliation between the army-backed interim government and opposition groups.

A senior member of the Brotherhood, Amr Darrag, said on Wednesday that talks included discussion on the political deadlock in Egypt, but insisted Egyptians must sort out the issue themselves without foreign help.
"We didn't represent our personal opinions but expressed to Ashton the views of the people. The Egyptian people continue to take to the streets with specific demands and in opposition to the current policies. Our role is to convey their voices," he said.

Ashton will also hold talks with key members of the interim government, including President Adly Mansour and Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
In a statement later, Darrag said they did not discuss their demands to return ousted President Mursi back to power.
He said the anti-coup alliance is calling to return the president, constitution and parliament, but that the Brotherhood did not raise these demands during their meeting with Ashton.

Egypt's foreign ministry also issued a statement on Ashton's meeting with interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy.
It said the focus was on regional issues, and nothing about political developments in Egypt or achieving reconciliation.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team