Egypt warns of "sectarian" danger in Lebanon

CAIRO, Jan 9 (Reuters) Egypt today urged Lebanese factions to refrain from acts which could be seen as sectarian provocation as the Shi'ite Muslim opposition movement Hezbollah began the first day of a wider anti-government campaign.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit also warned of dire consequences if Lebanese factions ''are dragged into mistaken calculations'', said a written statement.

''He stressed the importance of refraining from any steps which the masses, mobilised for some time, could understand as a sectarian provocation,'' the statement said.

The opposition, led by Hezbollah, took the first step in a wider campaign to topple the Western-backed government, with a protest against economic reforms proposed by the cabinet.

Hundreds of protesters, including opposition activists, waved Lebanese flags outside a Finance Ministry tax office to protest against an increase in value-added tax proposed by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government.

Siniora, who enjoys support from France, the United States, Saudi Arabia and others, hopes a donors conference in Paris on January 25 will yield assistance vital to the reforms.

The Egyptian statement said the Lebanese should try to take advantage of the international assistance on offer ''to help all Lebanese deal with the difficulties which arose from last summer's war'' between Israel and Hezbollah.

Analysts say the Egyptian government favours the Lebanese government over Hezbollah, but the Shi'ite Muslim movement won much sympathy among ordinary Egyptians with its performance against the Israeli army in south Lebanon last year.

REUTERS BDP BST2221