al-Sisi sworn in for a second term as Egypt’s president

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been sworn in for a second term as Egypt’s president with a vow to fight “those who choose violence, terrorism and extremism”.

Sisi took the oath in a packed house and in front of members of his government, after winning 97 percent of valid votes in the March presidential election.

Fighter jets drew an Egyptian flag in the sky above Cairo while military helicopters flew over the capital’s centre as the president made his way to parliament — where he was greeted with a 21-gun salute.

After taking the oath of office he said in his speech he wanted to create a “common space” for Egyptians and that only those “who chose violence, terrorism and extremist thought as a way to impose their will” would be excluded.

Sisi has overseen a crackdown on political opponents and an increasingly bloody battle with Islamic State insurgents in the Sinai peninsula during his first term. He has also struggled to revive the economy while pushing through tough IMF-backed austerity measures tied to a $12 billion loan programme.