Sudan’s claim to Halayeb and Shalatin is based on a false cultural link

Sudan’s claims that the Halayeb and Shalatin triangle falls within its territory is “disputed by history because it is mainly based on [the] false assumption that there is a cultural link between the Sudanese people” and the disputed area, Tor Madira Machier writes for the Sudan Tribune. However, historical agreements reached under British colonial rule clearly place the Halayeb area under Egyptian territory, and Sudan’s claims of cultural affiliation with the area do not hold water against these agreements. The dispute between Egypt and Sudan is also part of a trend in Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir’s rule, as is evident by the ongoing controversy between Sudan and South Sudan over the Abyei area, Machier says.