Wafd party factions clash in Cairo

One person has been killed and 27 others have been injured in a clash between supporters of Wafd party head Numan Jumaa and those of rival faction leaders Mahmoud Abaza and Mustapha el-Tawi, Aljazeera’s correspondent in Cairo and agencies said.

Jumaa came third in September's presidential vote in Egypt

Violence erupted on Saturday after Jumaa and loyalists stormed the party’s headquarters in a Cairo residential area and forced Abaza and his supporters to leave the building. The latter returned fire in an attempt to regain control of the building, Aljazeera’s Hussain Abdel-Ghani said.

Abdel-Ghani identified the dead man as Mamduh Ibrahim, an employee of the party’s headquarters. He died at the Egypt International Hospital of wounds sustained in an exchange of fire.

Ambulances were seen evacuating the injured.

With the siege at Wafd’s headquarters continuing, prosecutors ordered the arrest of Jumaa, blaming him for the violence, state news agency Mena reported.

The drama ended when Egyptian security forces arrested Jumaa and his supporters after an order was issued by the attorney-general, Abdel-Ghani reported.

Armed escort

Jumaa was taken away in an armoured vehicle under armed escort for fear of attacks by supporters of rival leader Abaza.


Earlier, Jumaa’s faction opened fire on the supporters of el-Tawil, who responded by throwing stones, police said. A fire broke out in the building, but was later brought under control.

Rival factions fight it out in frontof Wafd party's headquarters
Rival factions fight it out in frontof Wafd party’s headquarters

Rival factions fight it out in front
of Wafd party’s headquarters

Witnesses said that police outside the building stood by without trying to halt the violence.

Some 700 of el-Tawil’s supporters broke into the building and surrounded an office where Jumaa had taken refuge with several dozen of his supporters.

The leadership dispute began after Jumaa, 71, came third in Egypt’s presidential elections in September with a worse than expected showing, prompting some members to try to replace him.

His opponents, led by el-Tawil and Abaza, lost a legal bid on Thursday to win a court order banning Jumaa from the headquarters.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies