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Railway Project Between Egypt, Sudan Moves Forward

Passengers wait for their train near a damaged train carriage (File photo: Reuters)
Passengers wait for their train near a damaged train carriage (File photo: Reuters)
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Railway Project Between Egypt, Sudan Moves Forward

Passengers wait for their train near a damaged train carriage (File photo: Reuters)
Passengers wait for their train near a damaged train carriage (File photo: Reuters)

Egypt's President, Abdelfattah El-Sisi, on Sunday issued a decision approving a grant between Egypt, represented by the Ministry of International Cooperation, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), to fund a railway project between Egypt and Sudan.

A presidential decree, published in the official gazette, approved a 750,000-Kuwaiti dinar ($2.5 million) grant to contribute to conducting a technical, economic and environmental feasibility study for a rail line project, under a deal signed on April 7, 2022.

The deal came as part of the activities of the joint annual meetings of Arab financial institutions, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

According to the deal, the Kuwaiti Fund would contribute in making a feasibility study to determine the technical, economic and financial feasibility of the project, and study the environmental and social impact.

The Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation had previously said the project comes as part of Egypt’s interest in reinforcing the cooperation between Cairo and Khartoum, along with achieving economic and social integration and unlocking the sustainable development potentials with the neighboring country.

In February, Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel el Wazir announced that preliminary studies on the first railway line between Egypt and Sudan have been completed.

The first stage of the railway links Aswan to Abu Simbel in southern Egypt, at a length of 285 kilometers, and the second stage, which will reach Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan, is set to be 80 kilometers long.

The project was first proposed at a meeting of Arab transport ministers in Cairo in 2010.

However, it had only started to take effect when Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi visited Sudan in 2018.

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Arab World

Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
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Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 

As the Houthi threat to international shipping grows ever more serious - most recently with the sinking of two Greek vessels, killing three sailors and leaving twelve missing - there has been little substantial reaction from major world powers. The United States, Germany’s foreign minister, and the UN envoy to Yemen were among the few to voice concern and call for de-escalation.

While Houthi attacks intensify across the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, insurance premiums for commercial ships in these waters have surged to as much as 1% of a vessel’s value, according to leading global insurers. This underscores the scale of the risk and the declining confidence in protecting this vital maritime corridor.

The two assaults targeted the cargo ships Magic Seas and True Confidence between Sunday and Tuesday last week. According to the EU naval mission Aspides, tasked with safeguarding Red Sea navigation, the attacks killed at least three sailors, wounded others, and left a dozen unaccounted for.

The strike on the Liberian-flagged Greek-operated True Confidence marked a dangerous escalation. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they used an explosive-laden drone boat and six ballistic and cruise missiles. They alleged the ship was heading to Israel’s port of Eilat, though independent verification was lacking.

Despite the scale of the violence, most global capitals limited their responses to brief statements. Only the US ambassador to the UN issued a pointed condemnation, along with remarks from a State Department spokesperson and a statement by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

The US denounced the attacks as “terrorist and unjustified,” describing them as evidence of the “ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed Houthis to regional maritime security and commerce.” The US ambassador stressed Washington’s commitment to denying the Houthis resources to fund such operations and called on the UN Security Council to remove obstacles blocking its expert monitoring teams in Yemen.

The State Department likewise condemned the attacks as a threat to the freedom of navigation and economic stability. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect commercial shipping,” the statement warned, urging the broader international community to condemn the Houthis’ actions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran must use its influence to halt Houthi attacks. Speaking in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts, he declared: “We strongly condemn these attacks and expect Iran to act to stop them.”

UN envoy Grundberg expressed deep concern about the sinking of True Confidence, warning of the humanitarian and environmental consequences of such operations, which violate international law and Security Council Resolution 2722. He urged the Houthis to provide sustainable guarantees to end attacks and build on prior understandings with the United States.

Oman had brokered a limited agreement last May under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American ships in return for a suspension of broad US-led military action - though the deal excluded Israel.

A Dangerous Precedent

Yemeni officials say the tepid reactions from much of the world send the Houthis the wrong message, reinforcing their sense of impunity. On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi boasted in his weekly address about sinking the vessels, calling it a “clear lesson” to any shipping company doing business with Israel.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 150 attacks, disrupting global trade flows through the Red Sea. Their operations have sunk British and Greek ships and damaged many more, including hijacking the Galaxy Leader and holding its crew for over a year.