Mubarak steps down

Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak was forced to cede power to a junta of senior military commanders yesterday after more than a million furious demonstrators took to the streets.

News of the regime’s collapse whipped rapidly across Cairo, sparking an eruption of joy and joyous chants of, “We the people have overthrown the regime!”

A grim-faced and ashen Vice President Omar Suleiman an­nounced the handover on state TV after an extraordinary national outpouring of rage brought vast crowds into the streets in cities across the country.

“President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the post of President of the republic and has tasked the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to manage the state’s affairs,” Mr Suleiman said.

As news spread, cries of “Allahu Akbar” – God is greatest! – and howls of victory rang out in the streets of the capital, firecrackers exploded, dancing broke out and women ululated their joy. In Tahrir Square several protesters fainted with the emotion of the moment following two weeks of protest.

The plaza has become a focal point of the revolt since it was occupied by protesters in late January, and earlier in the day had been thronged by hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, who prayed and chanted abuse at Mr Mubarak.

“We can finally go home!” cried Mohammed Ibrahim, 38, a protest organiser. “We have been here for 18 days waiting for him to leave and we did it.”