Egypt dissolves security agency

15 March 2011 Last updated at 15:38 Protesters recently raided the headquarters of the SSIS in the Cairo suburb of Nasser City Egypt's Interior Minister, Mansour al-Issawi, has dissolved its internal security agency, which had been blamed for decades of human rights abuses.

The State Security Investigation Service (SSIS) will be replaced with a new "National Security Force".

The new agency would be tasked with "protecting the internal front and combating terror", Mr Issawi said.

The actions of the SSIS helped ignite the popular uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak last month.

Its agents were accused of using violence to try and stop the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. At least 365 people died in the 18 days of unrest.

Earlier this month, protesters raided the agency's offices in Alexandria, Port Said and a suburb of Cairo, after reports that documents were being destroyed. Inside, they found piles of shredded paper.

The army was forced to step in to protect agents taking shelter inside. The soldiers are seen by the protesters as being on their side.

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A.nemdil & Press Agencies