The government has vowed to evict pro-Mursi sit-in supporters from the capital, Cairo.

Egypt's political crisis entered a tense phase on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 after international mediation efforts collapsed and the army-installed government repeated its threat to take action against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi.

Reuters news agency said both sides called their supporters on to the streets yesterday, August 8, 2013, while Mursi supporters in two protest camps in Cairo strengthened sandbag-and-brick barricades in readiness for any action by security forces. Meanwhile, Acting President Adly Mansour on the eve of the Moslem Eid al-Fitr holiday yesterday said Egypt was in a critical situation, vowing that the government would press on with its own plans to hold new elections in nine months.

As foreign mediators left the country after failing to get the two sides to reach understanding on the way forward, the US and the European Union called on all sides in Egypt's political crisis to end what was described as a dangerous stalemate. The joint statement came after the interim government said foreign mediation efforts had failed, BBC said. The EU and US said the Egyptian government bore a special responsibility to begin the process of reconciliation. But the army-backed government said it will break up sit-in protests in Cairo being held by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Mursi.

Since Mursi’s overthrow, diplomats from the US, European Union, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been trying to broker an end to the violence in the country. The capital, Cairo, has been tense after interim Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi said the government's determination to break up two pro-Mursi protest camps was final and irreversible. The army ousted Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, on July 3, 2013 after huge street demonstrations against his rule. Mursi and leaders of his Moslem Brotherhood have been rounded up and detained, but thousands of supporters have been demanding his reinstatement.

Nearly 300 people have been killed in political violence since the coup. Interim authorities have repeatedly asked Moslem Brotherhood supporters to end their sit-in protests in Cairo.