The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, reclaimed Sudan’s ownership of the Halayeb and Shalaten Triangle, asserting that the triangle is not part of the Egyptian territories.
Sudan has filed complaints to the UN Security Council since 1958 and informed UN Secretary-General of all the developments of the case with the Egypt, Ghandour told the Sudanese TV channel al-Shrouk.
“Sudanese people cannot forget the Halayeb Triangle. We are careful to not deliberate the case in the media, in order not to negatively affect bilateral relations between Egypt and Sudan,” Ghandour pointed out.
Egypt realizes that Sudan posses reliable documents that prove its rights over the Triangle, added Ghandour. He called on Egypt to choose international arbitration, as with the Israeli Taba case, or sit at the negotiation table with Sudan, like the Tiran and Sanafir case with Saudi Arabia.
Ghandour asserted that Egyptian government rejected the Sudanese request to restore international arbitration, fearing that the international court will rule in favor of Sudan.
Halayeb and Shalateen, also known as Halayeb triangle, is a border area that has been an issue of contention since the late 19th century.
In 1899, when Britain occupied Egypt and Sudan, the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Agreement for Sudan set the political boundary between the territories at the 22nd parallel, placing the Halayeb triangle inside Egyptian borders.
The area remained under Egyptian-Sudanese joint control until the dispute resurfaced in 1992, when Sudan allowed a Canadian oil company to search for petrol in the waters off Halayeb. Negotiations began, but the company pulled out of the deal until sovereignty was settled.
Every now and then Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir makes a statement that the Halayeb triangle is sovereign Sudanese land. Earlier this month, Bashir threatened to resort to the United Nations Security Council if Egypt refused to negotiate over the territory.
Edited Translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
