The Sudanese ambassador to Egypt called on Wednesday for holding negotiations between Egypt and Sudan over the border towns of Halayeb and Shalateen, or resorting to international arbitration. Ambassador Abdel Halim Abdel Mahmoud told Aswat Masriya that Halayeb and Shalateen belong to Sudan according to history, law, people and geography. The Sudanese statements came at a time when the Egyptian government is under scrutiny by many Egyptians for giving up control of two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia. Positioned at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, the two islands are strategically significant as they both control maritime activity in the gulf. Many Egyptians criticized the handover on social networking websites and in the media, arguing that both islands belong to Egypt. The government, however, maintains that the islands are Saudi and that Egypt was only protecting them based on Saudi Arabia’s request. Similarly, the Halayeb triangle, which lies at the border between Egypt and Sudan, has long been contested between both countries. The region is inhabited by tribes whose historical roots are traced to both countries. “We hope from both countries to resolve the issue through direct negotiations or by resorting…
Sudan Calls for Negotiations With Egypt Over Border Towns Halayeb, Shalateen
April 14, 2016
