Egypt’s Sisi ratifies controversial islands deal with Saudis

‘Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has endorsed a controversial agreement with Saudi Arabia on the transfer of the sovereignty of two Red Sea islands to the kingdom.
A cabinet statement issued on Saturday announced Sisi’s ratification of the 2016 maritime border demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia, which gives the kingdom control over Tiran and Sanafir, two islands located at the southern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba.
The Egyptian parliament had earlier approved the pact amid high controversy and opposition from senior lawmakers. Several courts had also annulled the agreement.
Sisi, a former army general who had reportedly served for a while as Egypt’s military attaché in Saudi Arabia, has faced growing public pressure over his decision to sign the agreement last year as many call it tantamount to treason.’
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