According to statements from Sudanese and Egyptian officials, Sudan deployed a platoon-sized military force by sea into the port town of Halayeb, located on the Red Sea coast, around May 5. The town is located within the Halayeb triangle, a disputed territory along the Red Sea coast between Egypt and Sudan that is under de facto Egyptian control. The Halayeb triangle is not particularly strategically significant. It comprises a few small villages, military posts and a run-down port. Despite meager prospects of manganese and oil resources, the Halayeb region remains more of a symbolic relic of colonial rule than an economic interest. Sudanese forces have not been stationed inside the Halayeb triangle since Egypt established a military presence there and forced the Sudanese to withdraw in 1995. Since then, the Halayeb triangle has been de facto administered by Cairo. In fact, an Egyptian decree in February formalized Halayeb as an Egyptian city and announced a $764 million development project for the surrounding region.
However, the Sudanese have long claimed sovereignty over Halayeb, with control over the town a sticking point in the Khartoum-Cairo bilateral relationship. Egypt's recent moves, likely meant to formalize Egyptian control over the Halayeb triangle, could have been what prompted Sudan's military deployment. Despite the presence of Egyptian troops in the village of Abu Ramad just 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Halayeb, where Sudan deployed its forces, there has been no notable Egyptian military response. A spokesman for the Egyptian presidency said May 11 that Egypt would not seek to escalate the situation in the Halayeb triangle, saying the Sudanese platoon's presence does not change the situation there. Another reason neither country has given much public attention to the incident is that they are focused on expanding their diplomatic relations. Egypt and Sudan have been trying to set up a joint border force; both countries are involved in negotiations relating to the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam; and Egypt is currently attempting to overturn its suspension from the African Union. These ongoing diplomatic initiatives — along with a lack of demonstrated intent to make the movement a major issue — mean that events in the Halayeb triangle are unlikely to disrupt relations between Cairo and Khartoum.
