Egypt marks third anniversary of uprising amid rising tensions

(Vatican Radio) Thousands of supporters of Egypt’s military-backed government and the Muslim Brotherhood are expected to take to the streets on Saturday in rival rallies to mark the three-year anniversary of the 18-day revolution that led to the overthrow of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

But the once-hopeful anniversary has come, after a series of bomb explosions in Cairo, as well as clashes across the country on Friday, left at least 20 people dead.

A powerful bomb in front of Cairo’s police headquarters killed 6 people and damaged key artifacts in Cairo's renowned Islamic Arts Museum. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, an al-Qaeda-inspired group, claimed responsibility for the bombings. Another 14 people were killed in street clashes across the country between supporters of the military-backed government and Islamist supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

Yesterday’s violence, say observers, points to Egypt’s continuing downward spiral since Morsi’s ouster last July and the mounting tensions between these two groups.

Following the blasts, Interim President Adli Mansour vowed to “uproot terrorism”. The United States strongly condemned the bombings, warning that continued violence will only impede Egypt’s prospects for political and economic stability.

The Egyptian government says extra security measures are in place for Saturday’s demonstrations.

Listen to the report by Laura Ieraci: