Egypt's ElBaradei calls out for talks to end the violence

Mohamed ElBaradei arrives in Tahrir Square during the January 2011 revolution.

Egypt's high profile opposition leader, Mohamed ElBaradei, has called for urgent talks between representatives of the country's factions to try to stop the ongoing violence, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

"We need an immediate meeting between the president, defence and interior ministers, the ruling party, the Salafis and the National Salvation Front to take urgent steps to halt the violence and start serious dialogue," he wrote on his offiical Twitter account.

The clashes began on the January 25 second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution and worsened after 21 people were sentenced to death for their part in the violence at a football match in 2011.

On Tuesday, the head of Egypt's military warned that the country could fall apart if the situation continued. Tens of thousands of protestors have taken to the streets in Port Said and other cities over the last five days. So far 50 people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and police.