The French outlet Réseau International published what it says is an official Sudanese Sovereignty Council directive instructing authorities to use a new map that places the Halayeb–Shalateen–Abu Ramad triangle within Egypt’s borders—contradicting past statements by General al-Burhan’s army (SAF), the site reported.
The report, citing an unnamed source and documents it says were issued in May 2025, links the move to Sudan–Saudi maritime demarcation talks and to a meeting between Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, during which the two allegedly agreed to treat the triangle as Egyptian territory and avoid raising the dispute at international bodies. The claim was echoed by regional outlets that picked up the Réseau International story.
The Guardian (Nigeria) separately reported that Sudan’s embassy in Abuja rejected suggestions that Khartoum had recognized Egyptian sovereignty over the area. The report could not be independently verified.
Egypt has exercised de facto administrative and military control over the Red Sea border triangle since the mid-1990s; Cairo rejects international arbitration without mutual consent, while Khartoum has historically maintained its claim. Analysts say the area’s strategic location and resources heighten the stakes of any shift in positions.
