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Egypt dismisses Bashir’s territorial claims on Halayeb

July 3, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit dismissed remarks recently made by Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir in which he stressed that a region on the borders with Egypt belongs to Sudan.

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit
Ahmed Aboul-Gheit
“Halayeb is Sudanese and will stay Sudanese” Bashir told crowds at the coastal town of Port Sudan on Wednesday marking the 21st anniversary of his military coup.

However, the Sudanese president said that his government wants to sit down with Egypt and try to resolve this issue despite the fact that Cairo rejects international arbitration.

Bashir has rarely brought up the issue publicly in order to avoid angering his Northern neighbor which has been one of his main backers. Sudan state media omitted any mention to this portion of Bashir’s speech.

But the Egyptian top diplomat responded to Bashir saying that “the Southern borders to Egypt are well known at latitude 22° and I see no need to further indulge in the historical backgrounds [of this subject] ” Aboul-Gheit said.

He further noted that there is an agreement between Bashir and his Egyptian counterpart to make Halayeb and integration and development zone.

Egyptian media and columnists fiercely criticized Bashir accusing him of seeking to deflect attention from his internal problems.

An Egyptian source was quoted by Cairo based Al-Shurooq newspaper as saying that Bashir’s assertions cannot be separated from those of his foreign minister Ali Karti in which he said that Cairo has a “shallow” understanding of Sudan’s complex problems.

The source said that the remarks reflect growing influence by Islamists within the power circles in Khartoum and a deliberate push to strain relations.

The Halayeb triangle that overlooks the Red Sea has been a source of tension between the two countries as early as 1958, shortly after Sudan gained independence from British-Egyptian rule.

The border issue was laid to rest until the 1990’s when relations between the two countries worsened over accusations that Sudan is harboring Islamic militant groups seeking to overthrow the Egyptian regime.

A failed attempt on the life of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was blamed on Khartoum after which Cairo moved to assert full control over the area.

Sudan has avoided registering voters inside Halayeb for the elections which took place last April despite earlier assertions that the region was included as a constituency.

(ST)

19 Comments

  • Gatwech
    Gatwech

    Egypt dismisses Bashir’s territorial claims on Halayeb
    So since 1958 the borders Sudan and Egypt have not been completely demarcated?

    Reply
  • DASODIKO
    DASODIKO

    Egypt dismisses Bashir’s territorial claims on Halayeb
    Haaa, Haa, Haaa for sixty years on Sudan Radio and TV; our brothers Egyptian and these southerners. Aha now they will claim Port Sudan in the near future and you can’t open your dirty mouths that are good for nothing and only used to abuse the Sudanese Africans. Egyptians are your masters becuase through the history Sudan Jalabas have never taken any decission concerning Sudan without refreing it to their Basha Egypt. Wau what a bad history? Egyptians will never claim boarders of Darfur because they know Darfuris who they are?

    Reply
  • biarawieu
    biarawieu

    Egypt dismisses Bashir’s territorial claims on Halayeb
    Hi Ahmer, non of you belong to these territory that you claim mat, both of you are criminal and land looters, you have no right to claim this is Africa land.

    Reply
  • jalabi
    jalabi

    Egypt dismisses Bashir’s territorial claims on Halayeb
    What crazy people??!!

    Ok, Bashir has come forward and made it clear to Egyptians that Halayeb is nothing but Sudanese land, Can Mr. Kiir do the same?

    Well, you know Kenya occupied the Ilemi Triangle that belongs to south Sudan long time ago and made it clear to Sudan “No negotiation .. it’s Kenyan land” .. Do GoSS have enough encourage to ask Kenya to withdraw from Ilemi Triangle??? Mr. Kiir should show braveness and asks Kenyan authority to give back the land.

    I doubt GoSS or Mr. Kiir will dare to ask Kenya such a thing because south is a landlock state and will be under Kenya mercy for exporting and importing all their stuffs and needs and any bad relation with Kenay will mean stravation and death, using Port Sudan for importing and exporting south oil and goods is not expected to be the altenative for southerners to use as many southerners hate Arab/Jalaba to death and prefer to die from starvation rathher than to see Arab/Jalaba benefiting from their oil and goods.

    Wish you all the best.

    Jalabia (Abo Jalabia)

    Reply
  • DASODIKO
    DASODIKO

    Egypt dismisses Bashir’s territorial claims on Halayeb
    Ali Mohamed; My place is very closed to your NISS office in the middle of Khartoum. My office is located very close to Saint James round about. Haaaaaaa, hu, hu. As I told you before I am transfered to Khartoum to dismantel it from people like you. Tell your boss Mohamed Atta to come and arrest me; but also this will not be the end of the story!!!!! Those children whom you killed with zelous Arabization, and Islamization are not like me who at least sat with Northerners in schools and some times met in Boosh restaurants. The coming generation are grwon up either in IDPs camps or in gehttos of Khartoum because his parents were killed by you.; therefore let us wait and see what they will do for you. Instead of talking bull shit you better redeem for the sins you have committed on them. I swear with the name of the creator of the universe you, and again you Mohamed Ali and your like will suffer a lot from the young generations like Abaker, Deng, Kur, Tiya Adarooub whom you teached them hatered that you accusing others with it.

    Reply
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