Mubarak leaves Cairo as protests continue

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reportedly is leaving Cairo, but who is in control remains unclear.

Media on Friday afternoon said Mubarak was on his way to the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheik.

There were conflicting messages, however, about whether Mubarak remained in control, or whether his vice-president, Omar Suleiman, or the military had assumed control. State TV said an announcement was imminent.

President Obama called for greater clarity in a message Thursday evening after Mubarak delivered a statement in which he said he relinquished unidentified powers to Suleiman.

“The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient,” Obama said in a statement. “Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.”