A French media report says SAF General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has agreed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to recognize the Halayeb, Shalateen, and Abu Ramad triangle as part of Egypt’s sovereign territory—sidestepping Sudan’s parliament in the process.
According to Réseau International, the understanding was reached during a meeting between the two leaders as part of Egypt’s efforts to secure its strategic interests in the Red Sea, particularly amid ongoing Sudan-Saudi maritime border talks. Cairo sought assurances that these negotiations would not jeopardize its claims over the disputed triangle, which is key to controlling Red Sea maritime routes, continental shelf resources, and strategic coastal points.
The report says Burhan sent a letter on May 11, 2025, to Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and the National Commission for Borders, directing them to adopt a map placing the triangle within Egypt’s borders during discussions with Riyadh over maritime demarcation. The letter stated this was agreed upon with el-Sisi to end a decades-long dispute.
Egypt has maintained full military and administrative control over the triangle since the mid-1990s, following the attempted assassination of then-President Hosni Mubarak in Addis Ababa in 1995—a plot Cairo linked to Khartoum. Sudan has continued to claim the territory and has repeatedly called for international arbitration, which Egypt rejects, citing international law that requires both parties’ consent.
Cairo insists the area is within its sovereign boundaries based on official maps, state infrastructure, and military presence. The Halayeb Triangle’s value lies in its natural resources and its position astride vital Red Sea shipping lanes, making it a focal point in the shifting regional maritime border dynamics between Sudan and Saudi Arabia.
