Cairo ? Egypt’s military rulers warned Friday that the country faces conspiracies that seek to topple the state and spread chaos, in a message intended to undermine activists who plan to mark the anniversary of President Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow with anti-army protests.

The statement from the council of generals who took power when Mubarak stepped down on Feb. 11, 2011, came on the eve of a planned general strike aimed at pressuring the military to give up power.

Protest groups have grown harshly critical of the military’s handling of Egypt’s transition to democracy, accusing the army of trying to protect its power and committing human rights violations that rival those of Mubarak’s regime. Thousands rallied outside the defense ministry Friday to call for the immediate transition of power to a civilian authority.

In a statement read on state TV Friday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said it would not bow to pressures to accelerate the transition.

“Never will we bow to threats, nor succumb to pressures, nor accept ultimatums,” it said.

The message said the army had played an essential role in Egypt’s transition and warned of plots that seek to strike “a mortal blow” to the revolution by sewing discord between the army and the people.