Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi vowed not to resign in a TV address late Tuesday saying that he had been given a legitimate mandate by the people and that he would stay in his post to seek solutions to political tensions. President Morsi said that he became President after a free presidential election and only legitimacy could halt conflict in Egypt. Before this speech, President Morsi called on the Egyptian army to withdraw its ultimatum.

Meanwhile, the world has shown concerns about tensions in Egypt. US Secretary of State John Kerry, in a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Kamel Amr before the latter resigned on Tuesday, called on Egyptian leaders to respect the people’s opinions. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged President Morsi to be responsive to people’s concerns and support dialogue solutions. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on the Egyptian government to firmly address issues that lead to public protests. Earlier, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged parties in Egypt to seek solutions to end the violence.