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TheEgypt–Sudan border (Arabic:الحدود السودانية المصرية) is 1,276 km (793 mi) in length and runs from thetripoint withLibya in the west to theRed Sea in the east.[1] The eastern section of the border is subject to aterritorial dispute between the two states.
The border starts in the west at the tripoint with Libya onGabal El Uweinat and then proceeds eastwards along the22nd parallel north toLake Nasser.[2] The border then briefly veers northwards, creating an area known as the 'Wadi Halfa Salient', before resuming its course along the 22nd parallel out to the Red Sea just south of Cape Elba (Ras Hadarba).[2] Sudan maintains that the border diverges about 183 kilometres (114 mi) east of the salient, shifting south so as to leaveBir Tawil in Egypt, and then north-east so as to include theHalaib Triangle within Sudan. The boundary traverses a thinly populated region of theSahara desert andLibyan desert known traditionally asNubia, with the main population centers being around theriver Nile in the vicinity ofWadi Halfa.
Egypt andSudan are both ancient civilizations, with a long history of human settlement and complex societies dating back thousands of years, with the region of northern Sudan, known asNubia, particularly intertwined with the history ofAncient Egypt; both sharing cultural and political connections along theNile River valley throughout antiquity. Both countries have numerous archaeological sites showcasing their ancient past, including pyramids, temples, and burial grounds to 4000 BC. The northern region of Sudan was known as Kush in ancient times and had a powerful kingdom that interacted significantly with Egypt, sometimes even ruling parts of it. Following theBattle of Actium andBattle of Alexandria in 30 BC,Rome gained control of Egypt, which became a major grain producer for the empire led byOctavian who became the Roman Emperor with the titleAugustus. The primary power in Sudan during the Roman period was theKingdom of Kush, which resisted Roman expansion. The Roman military campaigns into northern Sudan did not establish permanent control over the region due to the conflict between Rome and Nubia. Egypt, though nominally part of theOttoman Empire, had acquired a large degree of autonomy underMuhammad Ali following theSecond Egyptian-Ottoman War of 1839–1841.[3] In 1882 the British occupied Egypt, effectively establishing a protectorate (formally declared only in 1914).[3][2] Egypt's traditional claim to Sudan was maintained, and following a war againstMahdist forces in the 1890s, the British conquered Sudan and createdAnglo-Egyptian Sudan in January 1899 as a condominium state, divided from Egypt along the 22nd parallel.[4][3][2] The Wadi Halfa salient was added to Sudan on 26 March 1899 in order place a rail terminus fromKhartoum under Sudanese control.[2] A further agreement of 1902 created an 'administrative boundary' in the east in order to facilitate the administration of various nomadic peoples, thereby creating the Bir Tawil region (to Egypt) and the Halayib triangle (to Anglo-Egyptian Sudan).[3][2]
Egypt gained full independence in 1922, and in 1956 the Anglo-Egyptian condominium was terminated with Sudan becoming independent.[3] At that point the 1902 agreement remained in force, however in 1958 Egypt re-asserted the 1899 boundary, a move protested by Sudan.[2][3] After a brief show of force Egyptian forces withdrew from the region, and the dispute thereafter lay dormant. In 1959 Egypt and Sudan signed a treaty that paved the way for Egypt to create the Aswan Dam, which had the knock-on effect of flooding much of the Wadi Halfa salient underLake Nasser.[3]
The Halayib dispute flared up again in 1992 when it looked as if oil might be discovered off its coast. Egypt moved troops into the area, effectively establishing Egyptian control, despite the protestations of Sudan.[5] Thereafter, then Sudanese PresidentOmar al-Bashir reiterated the Sudanese claim of sovereignty over Halayib in a 2010 speech inPort Sudan, saying "Halayeb is Sudanese and will always be Sudanese."[6][7] At present the 1899 border isde facto in effect, leavingBir Tawil in the unique position of being the only non-polar piece of landnot claimed by any country on Earth.