Sudan, Egypt presidents exchange detainees as gifts

The Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir decided to pardon dozens of Egyptian fishermen Khartoum accused of spying on Wednesday. Egypt's President, Abdelfattah El Sisi, issued a release order for 44 Sudanese prisoners in Egypt who were held for crossing borders illegally.

The amnesty offer for the about 101 fishermen by Al Bashir was “a gift”, according to the Sudan Ambassador to Cairo, to the people of Egypt for the inauguration of the Suez Canal's new extension. Mahmoud Abdelhalim explained to Sudan News Agency that in return, Egypt’s President El Sisi issued the release of the Sudanese prisoners, as a gift to Sudan who is sharing in the celebration.

The two presidential pardons show strong and special ties between the two sisterly countries, according to the Sudanese diplomat.

The 44 Sudanese nationals had been detained for allegedly crossing borders illegally. The about 101 Egyptian fishermen had been detained since April in Sudan. They were held on charges of spying and breaching the regional waters at the Red Sea.

The Sudanese decision reportedly comes following intense negotiations between the Egyptian and Sudanese governments over the fate of the fishermen in the past few weeks. Families of the detained fishermen protested to demand the Egyptian authorities to press for the fishermen’s release.

Previously, a Sudanese court in the Red Sea fined 29 Egyptian fishermen and a captain on charges of breaching the Sudanese territorial waters, while on April 12 a second ruling was issued against 46 other Egyptian fishermen.

Correction 21-08-2015 19:30: The Sudanese nationals have not yet been sent back to Sudan by the Egyptian authorities.