Morsi was declared unfit to hold office by the Supreme Court in Egypt. He was accused of crimes against humanity and was asked to step down which he refused.

If the army had not stepped in, things would have become very bad.

Guns shouldn’t – mustn’t – silence ballots. Either we believe in free elections and democracy, or we don’t. There aren’t in-between or bastardised positions. That’s because a coup against democracy is a “Door of No Return”. It’s like a half pregnancy – it can’t happen. It’s impossible.

Let’s hope the Egyptian military hasn’t opened a door to coups against democratic governments in Africa. I have five incontrovertible reasons every democrat must reject the putsch against Mr Morsy. There are no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts”.

I agree that politics is a game, but a very serious one. It’s literally sometimes about life – and death. This is the first reason I reject the coup. Political democracy is meant to “civilise” politics, which is war by other means. That’s why we must respect the ballot, or live by the gun.

Democratic choices aren’t only palatable when our ideological soul mates win. Remember the opposition to a Hamas victory in Palestine?

Mr Morsy wasn’t a dictator. Some of his policies were clearly unpopular, but he was popularly elected on a Brotherhood platform. It’s hypocritical to democratically elect a party, and not expect it to carry out some of its policies. A military putsch against a winning party because of its policies sets the stage for counter-coups in the future. It unleashes a cycle of arrests, murders and violent coups – just look at Uganda, DRC, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Madagascar.

Egypt's Ex-Dictator Mubarak 'To Be Freed'Ousted Hosni Mubarak is to be released from prison within 48 hours, his lawyer claims, as Egypt descends further into chaos.

Deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak is expecting to be freed from jail after being cleared of corruption charges, his lawyer claims.