The Egyptian consul in Wadi Halfa, northern Sudan, stated that the Sudanese authorities have stopped medical convoys coming from Egypt. He confirmed that Egypt is ready to resume sending these convoys when conditions permit. According to “Sudan News”, a meeting was held between the Egyptian consul and a delegation from the Supreme Council of Wadi Halfa Residents, in addition to the Coordination Council of Relations between Halfa and Aswan, customs agents, and the Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Trustees of Wadi Halfa Hospital.
The Egyptian Consulate advised the delegation to submit an official request to form an Egyptian technical team to address the city’s water crisis, responding to the Sudanese delegation’s demands presented to the Egyptian side, based on agreements signed between the two parties.
The Egyptian consul in Wadi Halfa proposed to the delegation to prepare a letter from the executive director of the locality including an invitation to an Egyptian technical team specialized in water, to visit Wadi Halfa in the Northern State, to monitor the water crisis and address current issues and develop a comprehensive study for the final solution.
The Egyptian consul explained that the medical convoys that used to visit Wadi Halfa were stopped at the request of the Sudanese authorities, and that the Egyptian government does not oppose resuming them when permitted, emphasizing that the council will handle communication with the authorities.
In the same context, the Egyptian and Sudanese parties discussed the need to communicate with commercial entities to provide them with Sudanese standards and specifications that allow the entry of imported food and pharmaceutical goods, to reduce the duration these goods stay at customs points on the border so they do not reach their expiration period.
Regarding the movement of citizens between the two countries, the Egyptian consul indicated that the consulate issues entry visas according to its assigned tasks, and these visas have become linked to security clearances or what is known as security approval, which necessitates adding a time period until the visa is received.
In mid-last year, Egypt suspended the implementation of the Four Freedoms Agreement that allows movement, residence, ownership, and work for citizens of both countries, due to the increasing number of Sudanese refugees, where it expressed concern over the potential increase in their numbers in Egypt.
