Sources familiar with the matter revealed that General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, has directed the postponement of the final version of the maritime border demarcation agreement between the Republic of Sudan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, due to consultations with the Egyptian side on this matter.

Burhan’s decision comes as a result of direct Egyptian pressure, following leaks regarding Sudanese-Saudi committees working on the maritime border demarcation agreement between the two countries. The Egyptian side exerted pressure on Burhan to act in order to safeguard its interests, considering such a matter as an intervention in Egypt’s vital sphere.

Egypt seeks to sign a maritime border demarcation agreement with Sudan to achieve the maximum possible benefit, given the current conditions in Sudan and Burhan’s need for Egyptian support in the ongoing military conflict with the Rapid Support Forces. Burhan’s decision included a directive to finalize the agreement with Saudi Arabia after signing with the Egyptian side directly.

The maritime border demarcation committee between the Republic of Sudan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held a meeting on September 20, 2025, chaired by General Engineer Al-Amin Muhammad Banqa, with the presence of the Minister of Justice (Chairman of the Legal Committee) and members of various committees. During the meeting, amendments to the final version of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Sudan and Saudi Arabia were discussed, following adjustments to Sudan’s map after signing a border demarcation agreement, both maritime and land, between Sudan and Egypt.

The committee’s work was defined to include demarcating the baseline at sea, establishing a maritime database, and appointing a technical and legal delegation to hold meetings with the Egyptian side to set the preliminary formula for demarcating the land and maritime borders between Sudan and Egypt.

Egypt aims, through signing the maritime border demarcation agreement with Sudan, to invest in marine areas and explore minerals, whether in the waters or the adjacent land. Experts indicated that Burhan, due to his need for regional support, especially from Egypt and Saudi Arabia and some major countries, has begun to barter this support by conceding Sudanese sovereign rights. This move constitutes an overstep of his powers, as the Transitional Council does not have the authority to cede or relinquish Sudanese lands. Moreover, such agreements require the approval of the Sudanese National Council, which was dissolved following the military coup that ousted former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.