Sisi says Egyptians have endured 'superhuman hardships' since revolution

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that Egyptians have endured superhuman hardships in the six years after the uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Speaking on Wednesday in a televised address commemorating the 2011 revolution, Sisi praised young people for preserving the country from destruction.

"History will do justice to this generation that has endured beyond normal human capacity... with courage and determination, bearing all hardships," Sisi said.

"An objective assessment of developments in Egypt in recent years makes clear that we are moving on the right track," Sisi said, calling on on young activists who took part in mass protests in 2011 to work for the country's future.

	In pictures: 18 days of Egypt's revolution

He added that the uprising was a "turning point" in Egyptian history and that initial hopes were met with "unprecedented frustration" before it was taken back by the people, a reference to a 2013 military coup he led against former Islamist president Mohammad Morsi.

January 25 marks the anniversary of the day in 2011 when protesters began to gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding an end to longtime president Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Critics have accused Sisi of cracking down on freedoms won during the revolt since the former army chief toppled Morsi.

Small numbers of protesters took to the streets on Wednesday across the country to call for the end of the Sisi regime. In the Cairo district of Giza, protesters marched holding up posters of ousted president Morsi and chanting slogans against Sisi.

Years of political turmoil – and an Islamist insurgency that has killed hundreds of soldiers and police since Morsi's overthrow – have taken a toll on Egypt's economy.

On social media prominent political figures commemorated the anniversary by recalling their memories of the revolution and the principles that it stood for.

Former Islamist presidential candidate, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, called for mercy for all political prisoners and the over 800 people "martyrs" killed during the 18 days of unrest.

One of the leading activists behind the revolution, Wael Ghonim, said in a poetic statement widely shared on Facebook that young people should not be deterred by the fact that the road to freedom is "long and marred by defeats".