By: Muhamed Abdalazeem
A French report has confirmed that the ongoing negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Sudan regarding the demarcation of their maritime borders will not come at the expense of Egypt or its interests related to the Hala’ib, Shalateen, and Abu Ramad triangle. Any agreement between the two parties would directly affect the starting points of maritime borders, the division of the continental shelf and natural resources, and control over strategic maritime passages in the Red Sea.
The French website Réseau International quoted a source stating that Egypt has worked to safeguard its national interests. A meeting was held between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, during which it was agreed that the Hala’ib Triangle would be considered part of the territory of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The source revealed that al-Burhan exceeded his authority and bypassed the Sudanese parliament by addressing the National Border Commission through the Sovereign Council on May 11, 2025. He requested the commission to adopt a map that includes the triangle within Egypt’s borders, in the context of discussing the details of maritime border demarcation between Sudan and Saudi Arabia.
The letter indicated that this action was taken based on an agreement between the Chairman of the Sovereign Council and the Egyptian President to resolve the longstanding Egyptian-Sudanese dispute over the area.
The Hala’ib, Shalateen, and Abu Ramad triangle is considered the core of the dispute between Egypt and Sudan due to Egypt’s strategic interests in the region.
The triangle has been under full Egyptian military control since the mid-1990s, following an assassination attempt on former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak—an attempt allegedly supported by Sudan. Egypt has consistently rejected Sudan’s repeated calls to refer the dispute to international arbitration, citing international law, which requires mutual consent from both parties before a case can be brought before an arbitration court.
The Hala’ib, Shalateen, and Abu Ramad triangle has long represented a historic point of tension in Egyptian-Sudanese relations. Although it has been under de facto Egyptian administrative and military control since the mid-1990s—after the 1995 assassination attempt on President Mubarak in Addis Ababa, in which elements linked to Khartoum were accused—Sudan has continued to claim the region and raise the issue in international forums.
Egypt consistently refuses any Sudanese initiatives to refer the dispute to international arbitration, relying on a fundamental principle of international law that arbitration requires the consent of both parties.
Cairo affirms that the triangle lies within its sovereign borders, based on official maps and comprehensive institutional presence, including the provision of state services and civilian and military infrastructure.
The triangle holds increasing strategic importance, not only as an area rich in resources and natural wealth but also because of its key geographic position overseeing vital maritime passages in the Red Sea. This is especially significant amid fast-moving regional developments related to the maritime border demarcation between Sudan and Saudi Arabia. Any change in the starting points of the borders or the distribution of the continental shelf may have direct consequences for Egypt’s maritime security and economic interests, prompting Cairo to intensify its diplomatic and leadership efforts to safeguard what it views as inalienable rights.
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