Cancellation of maritime border accord that would have ceded control of two islands is a setback for Egypt’s president

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

In a rare display of rebellion against the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, a Cairo court voted to annul his decision to transfer sovereignty of two islands to Saudi Arabia.

Judge Yehia el-Dakroury declared that Egypt’s maritime border would not be redrawn, meaning that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir would remain under Egyptian sovereignty.

Sisi previously awarded the two islands to Saudi Arabia in a highly controversial deal during a visit to Egypt by King Salman, which also coincided with the signing of oil deals and development packages from the Gulf kingdom.

The deal was designed to coincide with a bridge joining Saudi Arabia to the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.



Tuesday’s decision was met with cheers inside the courtroom and celebration on the steps of the courthouse, even as Egypt’s government declared its intention to appeal against the decision within hours of the verdict.



Egypt's president under fire over Red Sea islands transfer to Saudi Arabia Read more

“Today’s verdict will be implemented, and the appeal will not stop its implementation,” said lawyer Ali Ayoub, who brought the lawsuit against the Egyptian government, along with rights lawyer Khaled Ali.

“The verdict nullifies the prime minister’s signature on the agreement – which means that Tiran and Sanafir are under Egyptian sovereignty.”



“This verdict proves the widely acknowledged principle of legitimacy,” he added, referring to the independence of Egypt’s judiciary. “[This] entails general respect for the rule of law and the constitution.”



The decision to declare Tiran and Sanafir as Saudi Arabian quickly proved to be a raw nerve for Sisi’s leadership and popularity rating. In a speech in the days after the deal, the embattled president pleaded with the Egyptian public to stop discussing the issue.

“Egyptians are currently suffering from a state of collective suicide, due to fourth generation warfare which targets the loss of Egyptians’ confidence in their state institutions,” he said.



He added that the deal had taken place entirely in secret, lest “the rise of disputes fabricated through the media create a divide between the two countries”.



Cairo has controlled the two islands since a transfer of power by Saudi Arabia in 1950, amid fears of confrontation with neighbouring Israel. Egypt’s blockade of the Strait of Tiran in 1967 is considered one of the main triggers of the six-day war.



News of the deal in April sparked the largest street protests in Egypt since a law effectively banning protest came into place in November 2013. More than 250 people were detained in protests against the deal on 25 April, with more than 150 of these later given prison sentences of between two and five years. While overtly organised to protest the islands transfer, the protests also served as a broad base for anti-government feeling.

