Egypt's President Sisi ends state of emergency for the first time in years

Egypt's state of emergency will be lifted for the first time in years, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday.

Egypt imposed a state of emergency in April 2017 after deadly bombings of churches and has since routinely extended it at three-month intervals, despite an improved security situation.

"Egypt has become an oasis of security and stability in the region," Sisi wrote in a Facebook post. "Hence it was decided, for the first time in years, to cancel the extension of the state of emergency in all areas of the country."

The state of emergency granted authorities sweeping powers to make arrests and crack down on enemies of the state.

It was applied during the extension of a clampdown on political dissent under Sisi that has swept up liberal as well as Islamist critics over the past few years.

(CGTN)