Sudan threatens to sue Egypt over mistreatment of Halayeb residents

Sudanese parliamentarians have threatened to sue the Egyptian government for attacking Sudanese residents on the disputed island of Halayeb in the Red Sea.

An agreement under which Egypt ceded the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia has brought to the fore a disagreement between Egypt and Sudan over the Halayeb-Shalateen triangle, an area approximately 13,000 kilometres situated on the Egyptian-Sudanese border.

The Sudanese Centre for Press Services quoted MP Ahmed Issa Omar of the Halayeb district: “Egyptian authorities continue to target the citizens of Halayeb with arrests, harassment, torture and shooting under various pretexts.”

“The targeting has not stopped so far and increased last month when the Egyptian authorities killed a Sudanese trader near Shalatin island,” he added.

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Meanwhile, the chairman of the Red Sea parliamentary bloc, Ahmed Issa Heikal, said in previous statements that the dispute over the Halayeb triangle will be resolved soon and Sudan will retake control over the islands.

“Whatever the Egyptian authorities do, they will not be able to retake the islands of Halayeb, Shalatin and Abu Ramad because their residents are Sudanese and an integral part of Sudan,” he said.

Relations between Sudan and Egypt have been strained over several issues. Egypt accuses Sudan of supporting the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam which Cairo fears will adversely affect its share of Nile water.

Meanwhile, Khartoum accuses Cairo of supporting Sudanese rebels who oppose the rule of President Omar Al- Bashir.