Russia Today’s (RT) website took down an opinion poll on Saturday regarding the ownership of the Halaib triangle between Egypt and Sudan, a move which Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) described as “provocative.”
According to a statement released by SIS on Friday, the poll was deleted following intensive contacts with RT’s officials in Moscow and Cairo by the SIS. It also made contact with various personalities involved in the safety of Egyptian-Russian relations.
The SIS explained to the Russia side the seriousness of RT’s actions, which would only divide the Egyptian and Russian peoples and offend the feelings of Egyptians as this is a sensitive matter concerning the unity of Egypt’s territory and its national sovereignty.
The SIS has also stated it will continue discussions with RT officials and all relevant Russian authorities, in order to ensure that such abuses are not repeated. The SIS stresses that the media in both countries should serve in strengthening relations rather than harming them, in accordance with universally accepted professional rules.
The SIS said it continues its contacts with officials of RT and with all relevant Russian authorities and personalities in order to ensure that such abuses are not repeated and that the media in both countries is an important factor in strengthening relations rather than harming them, in accordance with the universally accepted professional rules.
Egypt controls the Halaib triangle and Shalatin, which lies on the Red Sea coast in a mineral-rich region, while Sudan has asserted sovereignty over the triangle since its independence in 1956.
Tensions between Cairo and Khartoum rose last year when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir accused Egyptian intelligence of supporting dissidents fighting government forces in Darfur, in the western region of the country.
In recent months, tensions between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia have increased because of differences over Ethiopia’s construction of a dam and Nile water sharing.
Egypt fears that the construction of the dam will affect its share of Nile water.
