Today belongs to the people of Egypt as they celebrate a great triumph in their struggle for freedom, dignity and human rights against decades of repression and corruption. The road ahead is full of challenges and the Egyptian army must honor its pledge to protect the gains of this courageous protest movement. But tonight as darkness falls on Tahrir Square, it's packed with elated, cheering patriotic Egyptians who can hardly believe what they have achieved. We celebrate with them their courage and persistence in the face of dictatorship. This is a moment of huge emotion and a moment of great hope for Egypt and the region.

A 30-second announcement Friday ended the 30-year autocratic rule of President Hosni Mubarak, setting off a wave of celebration at Tahrir Square and all of Egypt, the roar unsettling regimes across the Middle East.

Hours after his defiant speech on state television enraged tens of thousands demanding his ouster, Mubarak finally ceded power to the military and left Cairo with wife Suzanne for his retreat in Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea coast.

Official confirmation of his departure came at 9.30 pm India time when an ashen-faced Omar Suleiman, Vice President and longtime intelligence chief, in a statement on state-run Nile TV, said: “My fellow citizens, in view of these hard circumstances that the country is facing, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as President of the Republic and has asked the higher council of the armed forces to run the affairs of the country.”

The Egyptian military moved in quickly to take control, promising quick transition to democracy and speedy removal of a dreaded emergency law that governs the country.

Millions glued to TV sets across the country erupted in joy as the announcement was made. Cars honked in unison on the streets of Cairo, fireworks lit up the night sky and gunshots rang out in celebration.

The loudest cheer came from Tahrir Square, the centre of the 18-day protest that toppled one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Arab world.

The hundreds of thousands who had turned up at Tahrir chanted “Free, Free, Egypt is Free” as Suleiman appeared on television. “The people have brought down the regime,” they shouted.