Egyptian FM slams Sudanese allegations at the UN

CAIRO – 14 January 2018: Egyptian Foreign Ministry sent the United Nations a response on Sunday over the latest Sudanese complaint at the UN demanding Egypt to hand over control of the "Halayeb Triangle" border territory.

The response protested the Sudanese rejection for maritime border demarcation agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in April 2016, stressing Egyptian sovereignty over all the lands located 22nd parallel north latitude, including Hala’ib Triangle.

The Foreign Ministry’s response also stated that the demarcation line between Egypt and Sudan was drawn according to an accord signed between Egyptian Khedive and Britain regarding the future administration in Sudan, in January 1899.

The accord stated that all the lands located south of the 22nd parallel north will be called Sudan, thus all the Sudanese allegations of Egyptian occupation of Halaib and Shalatin territory are groundless.

Egypt also asserted in the response its sovereignty over the water areas located on the coast of Halaib Triangle, based on the Article 16, paragraph 2, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The response stated that the maritime border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, signed in April 2016, entered into force in July 2017, is a bilateral agreement between two sovereign states, adding that the agreement is recorded by the UN General Secretariat.

Sudan has renewed a complaint at the UN demanding Egypt hand over control of the “Halayeb Triangle” border territory on January 9, without mentioning what action the UN shall take regarding the complaint.