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Egypt police disperse protests against Red Sea islands transfer

Xinhua, April 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Egyptian police fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters in Cairo on Friday who staged rallies against the government's recent decision to hand two islands over to Saudi Arabia, state media reported.

The officers fired tear gas in the Cairo neighbourhood of Mohandessin, where outlawed Muslim Brotherhood members protested after the Friday prayer.

Last Saturday, the cabinet announced, during Saudi King Salman's visit to Cairo, maritime border demarcation accord that put the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Saudi waters.

The transfer of the two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia has triggered criticism against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Saudi and Egyptian officials said Tiran and Sanafir belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Saudi Arabia asked Egypt in 1950 to protect them.

The agreement will be referred to the parliament to be debated and ratified.

On Sunday, several Facebook and Twitter pages under title "The land is honor," have been launched.

Outlawed Brotherhood, group of the ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi has issued a statement on Thursday urging people to protest across the country.

Egypt's Interior Ministry on Thursday urged Egyptians "not to get carried away by tendentious calls for protests" and it warns against "any attempts to break the law."

The ministry added in a statement that it would take "all decisive legal measures" to maintain security.

State-run Ahram website reported dozens of protesters organized a rally outside the Journalists Syndicate in downtown Cairo to express rejection on the two islands deal. Endit