Egypt and Sudan hold talks over border dispute

CAIRO // Officials from Sudan and Egypt yesterday held “honest” and “transparent” discussions after months of tension over a border region held by Cairo and claimed by Khartoum.

Sudan’s visiting foreign minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, and Egyptian minister Sameh Shoukry spoke of the “holy” relations binding the nations, but reported no progress in Cairo after the talks. “There are deeply entrenched relations capable of overcoming whatever is inflicted upon them,” said Mr Shoukry. “We are working toward a frank dialogue capable of removing misunderstandings and confusion.”

At the centre of tensions between the two countries is sovereignty over the so-called Halayeb Triangle on the Red Sea, an issue that dates back to colonial times.

Egypt refuses to submit the dispute to international arbitration, a Sudanese request. The tension was further stoked when Sudan decided recently to ban all agricultural and animal imports from Egypt over health concerns, a claim disputed by Cairo. Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir last month accused Egypt of arming rebels fighting against his government in the western Darfur region. Egypt has denied the charge. Yesterday, Mr Ghandour said he delivered a message from Mr Al Bashir to Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi that conveyed some of Mr Al Bashir’s concerns.

He said the decision to ban Egyptian farm and animal imports was made on technical reasons and acknowledged that a cabinet decision to ratify the ban last week might have been ill-timed.