Egypt & Sudan exchange amnesties related to detained citizens

August 6, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued an amnesty on Thursday for 44 Sudanese detainees who were being held by Cairo over border infiltration charges during gold expedition venture.

Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir had issued a pardon yesterday for 101 Egyptian fishermen detained by Sudanese authorities since April after consulting with the justice minister. They were charged with espionage and put on trial.

The Sudanese miners arrived in Port Sudan aboard an Egyptian chartered plane that also evacuated 82 fishermen. The remaining 19 were forced to stay to receive the three fishing boats seized by Khartoum and use it to return home.

“The presidential pardon comes in the context of celebrations by the people of Egypt on opening of the [new expansion of the] Suez Canal,” Bashir’s chief of staff Taha Osman said.

Bashir arrived in Cairo today to attend celebrations marking the unveiling of the major extension of the Suez canal.

He was accompanied by foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour and presidency minister Salah Wansi.

(ST)