Egyptians require visa to enter Sudan

Sudanese authorities announced on Friday that Egyptian men between 16 and 50 years old would henceforth require entry visas to enter the country, Turkish state-run Anadolu reported.

According to Anadolu, the Sudanese interior ministry received the order, which was made immediately effective, from the Sudanese cabinet on Thursday, a spokesman for the Sudanese police said.

Egyptian nationals had previously been allowed to enter Sudan without visas. However, the new restrictions would not affect women, children and elderly.

Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman, Qareebullah Al-Khader, confirmed the decision, saying that Khartoum and Cairo had previously agreed this.

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“There is a pre-existing visa agreement between the two countries that requires men between 16 and 50 years old to obtain entry visas,” Al-Khader told Anadolu.

He refrained from providing details, however, as to when the agreement had been reached or why it had not gone into effect earlier.

Several years ago, Egypt imposed a similar entry visa requirement on male Sudanese nationals of the same age, leading to speculation that it could have been a reciprocal move.

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The move comes amid tensions between the two countries, especially over the disputed Halayb triangle region and Sudanese support for an Ethiopian Nile dam that Egypt opposes.

The move also comes ahead of a planned meeting tomorrow in Khartoum of a joint Egypt-Sudan consultation committee, which will be attended by the foreign ministers of both countries.