Here is a look at the life of Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Personal:
Birth date: November 19, 1954
Birth place: Cairo, Egypt
Birth name: Abdel Fattah Said Hussein Khalil el-Sisi
Father: Said “Hassan” el-Sisi, bazaar shop owner
Mother: Soad Mohamed
Marriage: Entissar Amer (1977-present)
Children: Mustafa, Mahmoud, Hassan and Aya (daughter)
Education: Egyptian Military Academy, 1977; Attended Egyptian Command and Staff College, 1987; Attended Joint Command and Staff College, United Kingdom, 1992; Attended Nasser’s Military Sciences Academy, Egypt, 2003; Attended U.S. Army War College, Pennsylvania, 2006
Religion: Muslim
Other Facts:
After graduating from military academy in Egypt, Sisi began in the infantry corps and later rose to command a mechanized infantry division, then Egypt’s northern military zone.
Served as the Egyptian military attaché in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during then-president Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
Timeline:
February 2011 – Following Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, is appointed director of military intelligence and reconnaissance. He also becomes the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the interim military authority comprised of senior military leaders.
June 26, 2011 – Sisi pledges to Amnesty International that the Egyptian army will no longer subject female detainees to “virginity tests.” Months earlier, Sisi had confirmed that forced “virginity tests” were performed on women arrested at the March 9 protests and defended the practice.
August 12, 2012 – President Mohamed Morsy appoints Sisi as minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
July 1, 2013 – After widespread demonstrations, Sisi delivers the Egyptian military’s message that the country’s civilian government has 48 hours to “meet the demands of the people” or the military will step in to restore order. The ultimatum is not considered the declaration of a coup.
July 3, 2013 – Egypt’s military removes Mohamed Morsy from power and reportedly holds him under house arrest. In a televised speech to the nation, Sisi says that Morsy “did not achieve the goals of the people” and failed to meet the generals’ demands that he share power with his opposition. Sisi also says that Adly Mansour will serve as interim president.
July 16, 2013 – In addition to retaining his positions as defense minister and leader of the armed forces, Sisi is also sworn-in as deputy prime minister.
January 2014 – Is promoted to field marshal.
March 26, 2014 – Resigns from his military post and declares his candidacy for president of Egypt.
May 5, 2014 – In a taped interview broadcast on Egyptian satellite networks, Sisi vows to finish off the Muslim Brotherhood if he’s elected president.
June 3, 2014 – Officially declared the winner of the presidential election, with more than 96% of the vote.
June 8, 2014 – Sworn in as president.
February 22, 2015 – Due to growing threats in the region, Sisi states that there is a need for a unified Arab force.
September 23, 2015 – Sisi pardons 100 prisoners. Among them are Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, who were arrested in December 2013 after being accused of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.