Sudanese Delegation in Cairo to Discuss Border Dispute with Ethiopia

 President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met Thursday with a Sudanese delegation in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met Thursday with a Sudanese delegation in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
TT

Sudanese Delegation in Cairo to Discuss Border Dispute with Ethiopia

 President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met Thursday with a Sudanese delegation in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met Thursday with a Sudanese delegation in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received Thursday a Sudanese delegation in Cairo to discuss the recent border tensions between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, in addition to the latest regional developments, especially the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Sisi held talks with members of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) Lt-General Shamsedeen Kabashi and his accompanying delegation, including Sudanese Minister of Culture and Information Fisal Mohammed Salih, Chief of General Intelligence Gamal Abdel Meguid, and Secretary-General of the council Mohamed Youssef.

The talks tackled the latest developments concerning the mounting tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan over the disputed eastern border region of Al-Fashqa.

Sisi said that Egypt is looking forward to continuing cooperation and coordination with Sudan in various areas, given the long-standing ties and common interests between the two countries.

For his part, Kabashi stressed the distinguished and historical relations binding between Cairo and Khartoum, hailing Egypt's sustained support for Sudan during the current transitional period.

The delegation also discussed with Sisi the GERD issue and the necessity of coordinating efforts and stances to achieve the interests of both countries.

The visit comes after border tension between the two countries escalated during the conflict in the Tigray region.

Ethiopian forces and militias attacked Sudanese forces inside their territory, killing three individuals and a high-ranking officer.

The Sudanese army redeployed within its territory and regained control over more than 80 percent of the areas that had been witnessing an Ethiopian presence for many years.

The negotiations to demarcate the border between Sudan and Ethiopia last December failed to reach an agreement.

After arriving in Khartoum Thursday, Salih said the delegation briefed Sisi on the recent developments on the Sudanese-Ethiopian borders, pointing out that the visit is a part of an integrated program for visiting the neighboring and sisterly countries to brief them on the reality of the developments of the situations in the region.

He also said it comes as part of the political and diplomatic efforts being exerted by the government to inform the leaders and the governments on Sudan’s position concerning the situations on the Sudanese-Ethiopian borders.



Hamas Names Four Israeli Female Soldier Hostages to Be Freed in Second Swap

 Palestinians walk on the rubble of destroyed houses, after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians walk on the rubble of destroyed houses, after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP)
TT

Hamas Names Four Israeli Female Soldier Hostages to Be Freed in Second Swap

 Palestinians walk on the rubble of destroyed houses, after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians walk on the rubble of destroyed houses, after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP)

Palestinian group Hamas announced the names on Friday of four Israeli women soldier hostages to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the second swap under the ceasefire deal in Gaza.

Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag would be released on Saturday, the group said.

The exchange, expected to begin on Saturday afternoon, follows the release on the ceasefire's first day last Sunday of three Israeli women and 90 Palestinian prisoners, the first such exchange for more than a year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that the list had been received from the mediators. Israel's response would be presented later, it said in a statement.

Israeli media reported that the list of hostages slated for release was not in line with the original agreement, but it was not immediately clear whether this would have any impact on the planned exchange.

In the six-week first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Israel has agreed to release 50 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier released, officials have said. That suggests that 200 Palestinian prisoners would be released in return for the four.

The Hamas prisoners media office said it expected to get the names of 200 Palestinians to be freed on Saturday in the coming hours. It said the list was expected to include 120 prisoners serving life sentences and 80 prisoners with other lengthy sentences.

Since the release of the first three women on Sunday and the recovery of the body of an Israeli soldier missing for a decade, Israel says 94 Israelis and foreigners remain held in Gaza.

The ceasefire agreement, worked out after months of on-off negotiations brokered by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the United States, halted the fighting for the first time since a truce that lasted just a week in Nov. 2023.

In the first phase, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

In a subsequent phase, the two sides would negotiate the exchange of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which lies largely in ruins after 15 months of fighting and Israeli bombardment.

Israel launched the war following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, when fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to health authorities there.

The release of the first three hostages last week brought an emotional response from Israelis. But the phased release has drawn protests from some Israelis who fear the deal will break down after women, children, elderly and ill hostages are freed in the first phase, condemning male hostages of military age whose fate is not to be resolved until later.

Others, including some in the government, feel the deal hands a victory to Hamas, which has reasserted its presence in Gaza despite vows of Israeli leaders to destroy it. Hardliners, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have demanded that Israel resume fighting at the end of the first phase.

Most of Hamas' top leadership and thousands of its fighters have been killed but the group's police have returned to the streets since the ceasefire.