CAIRO (AFP) - Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak was forced to cede power to a junta of senior military commanders on Friday 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 television 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," Suleiman said.
The new man in the strongman's shoes is Field Marshall Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, chairman of the military council and a 75-year-old veteran who has always been considered a close ally of Mubarak.
The statement appeared to bring an end to constitutional rule in Egypt and invest power in a group of generals representing a military that has long been the power behind the throne in the Arab world's most populous country.
Earlier, the 82-year-old strongman had flown out of Cairo to his holiday retreat at Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea, his ruling party 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.
Egypt's powerful Islamist opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood hailed Mubarak's resignation and thanked the army.
"We salute the great people of Egypt in their battle," Essam el-Erian, a senior Brotherhood leader and spokesman told AFP. "We salute the army, which kept its promises.
In Tahrir Square several protesters fainted with the emotion of the moment following two weeks of protest.
"I'm happy, I'm exhausted," said Mohammed Gamal, a 21-year-old Cairo University student, one of a new generation of web-savvy young people who were behind the revolt in the Arab world's largest country.
"Now the Egyptians have their freedom. We broke down the wall of fear. We changed our people," he said.
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 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."
Outside the main presidential palace in the neighbourhood of Heliopolis protesters shouted "God is greatest!" as they hugged one another, danced and ululated. Some fell to the ground, overcome with emotion.
Tantawi later drove past the palace and saluted cheering crowds.
"My message to the Egyptian people is that you have gained your liberty," top opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei said he said in an interview with Al-Jazeera television. "Let's make the best use of it and God bless you."
Elsewhere in Cairo, gunshots, fireworks and the rhythmic car horns usually reserved for weddings were heard as Egyptians celebrated Mubarak's resignation.
On Thursday night, hundreds of thousands had crowded into Tahrir Square to hear a speech that was widely expected to be Mubarak's last as president.
Instead, he delegated some of his powers to his ally and Egypt's former intelligence supremo, Omar Suleiman, while vowing he would stay in office until September and one day die in Egypt, ruling out a flight into exile.
Israel, fearful the uprising might open the door to a hostile Islamist regime in Cairo, said it hoped the transition of power in Egypt would be conducted "smoothly," a government official told AFP.
Hamas by contrast hailed the resignation as "the start of the victory of the Egyptian revolution" as jubilation erupted across the Gaza Strip.
"We consider the resignation of president Mubarak to be the start of the victory of the Egyptian revolution which we support with all its demands," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
Lebanon's Hezbollah congratulated Egyptians on their "historic victory" following Mubarak's decision to step down, as car horns blared and fireworks went off in Beirut.
US Vice President Joe Biden hailed a "historic day" for the people of Egypt and said Mubarak's departure must lead to a negotiated path towards democracy.
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 television 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," Suleiman said.
The new man in the strongman's shoes is Field Marshall Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, chairman of the military council and a 75-year-old veteran who has always been considered a close ally of Mubarak.
The statement appeared to bring an end to constitutional rule in Egypt and invest power in a group of generals representing a military that has long been the power behind the throne in the Arab world's most populous country.
Earlier, the 82-year-old strongman had flown out of Cairo to his holiday retreat at Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea, his ruling party 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.
Egypt's powerful Islamist opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood hailed Mubarak's resignation and thanked the army.
"We salute the great people of Egypt in their battle," Essam el-Erian, a senior Brotherhood leader and spokesman told AFP. "We salute the army, which kept its promises.
In Tahrir Square several protesters fainted with the emotion of the moment following two weeks of protest.
"I'm happy, I'm exhausted," said Mohammed Gamal, a 21-year-old Cairo University student, one of a new generation of web-savvy young people who were behind the revolt in the Arab world's largest country.
"Now the Egyptians have their freedom. We broke down the wall of fear. We changed our people," he said.
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 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."
Outside the main presidential palace in the neighbourhood of Heliopolis protesters shouted "God is greatest!" as they hugged one another, danced and ululated. Some fell to the ground, overcome with emotion.
Tantawi later drove past the palace and saluted cheering crowds.
"My message to the Egyptian people is that you have gained your liberty," top opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei said he said in an interview with Al-Jazeera television. "Let's make the best use of it and God bless you."
Elsewhere in Cairo, gunshots, fireworks and the rhythmic car horns usually reserved for weddings were heard as Egyptians celebrated Mubarak's resignation.
On Thursday night, hundreds of thousands had crowded into Tahrir Square to hear a speech that was widely expected to be Mubarak's last as president.
Instead, he delegated some of his powers to his ally and Egypt's former intelligence supremo, Omar Suleiman, while vowing he would stay in office until September and one day die in Egypt, ruling out a flight into exile.
Israel, fearful the uprising might open the door to a hostile Islamist regime in Cairo, said it hoped the transition of power in Egypt would be conducted "smoothly," a government official told AFP.
Hamas by contrast hailed the resignation as "the start of the victory of the Egyptian revolution" as jubilation erupted across the Gaza Strip.
"We consider the resignation of president Mubarak to be the start of the victory of the Egyptian revolution which we support with all its demands," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
Lebanon's Hezbollah congratulated Egyptians on their "historic victory" following Mubarak's decision to step down, as car horns blared and fireworks went off in Beirut.
US Vice President Joe Biden hailed a "historic day" for the people of Egypt and said Mubarak's departure must lead to a negotiated path towards democracy.
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