Authorities at Khartoum Airport seized equipment belonging to Egyptian television that was going to be used for coverage of Sudan's secession referendum scheduled for tomorrow. Informed sources said the equipment was not allowed into Sudan because the Egyptian television crew set up a studio with a map of Sudan that does not include the region of Halayeb. Egypt's Information Attaché has contacted Sudanese officials to seek the release of the equipment, but has failed to make any progress, the sources added. Halayeb was considered part of Egypt in an agreement signed in 1899 when both Egypt and Sudan were under British occupation. However in 1902 Britain put it under the administration of Sudan due to its proximity to Khartoum. The surface area of this disputed area, which overlooks the Red Sea, is 21,000km. It consists of three main towns, Halayeb, Abu Ramad and Shalateen. In 1992, Egypt did not allow Sudan to search for petrol in the waters off Halayeb, which caused the Canadian company contracted to carry out the operations to withdraw until the dispute is settled. Since the 1990s, Egypt has been exercising sovereignty over Halayeb and investing in it, while in 2004 Sudan announced that Halayeb is still under its authority and said it has submitted a memorandum on this issue to the United Nations. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
