Egypt's army ready to prevent conflicts

CAIRO - Egypt's defense minister said the army is obliged to interfere to prevent the country from sliding into a dark tunnel of conflicts, internal fighting and sectarian strife, official news agency MENA reported Sunday.

"We still have one week left, in which a lot can be done," Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said, urging all political forces to achieve real reconciliation for the sake of Egypt ahead of the planned mass protest on June 30 to call for ousting President Mohamed Morsi and an early presidential election.

The armed forces "will not remain silent while the country is sliding into an uncontrollable struggle," the minister said.

"There is a state of division in society and the continuation of it is a danger to the Egyptian state and there must be consensus among all," Sisi said, adding that the division would harm national security.

"We are completely responsible for protecting the people's will", Sisi reiterated.