One of Egypt’s top officials says the country’s present political crisis could lead to the state’s collapse.

Failure to resolve the situation “could lead to grave repercussions if the political forces do not act” to tackle it, said defence minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi​ in comments posted on his Facebook page.

“The continuing conflict between political forces and their differences concerning the management of the country could lead to a collapse of the state and threaten future generations,” Mr al-Sassi said, in comments taken from a speech he gave to students at a military academy.

The defence minister, who is also the head of Egypt’s military, further warned that the political, economical, social and security problems facing Egypt constitute “a threat to the country’s security and stability”.

His comments are seen as a stark warning from the institution that ran the country until last year, as Cairo’s first elected leader President Mohamed Morsi, who came to power with the backing of the Muslim Brotherhood, struggles to contain violent protests in Egypt’s major cities.

More than 50 people have died in a week of protests against increasing Islamisation, brought in two years after the revolution that brought the present government to power.

Analysts say it is unlikely that the army wants to take back the power it held, in effect, for six decades since the end of the colonial period and in the interim period after the overthrow of former general Hosni Mubarak two years ago.

But, they say, it sends a powerful message that Egypt’s biggest institution, with a huge economic as well as security role and a recipient of enormous US subsidies, is worried about the fate of the nation after five days of turmoil in major cities.

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