Without a homeland – the contended land by Andrea Bettancini

There is a slim triangle of land along the perfectly horizontal line that separates Egypt from Sudan, which has always been claimed by both countries. It is the Halayeb-Shalateen triangle, currently under Egyptian rule. Starting from Sudan's independence in 1956, border relations with Egypt have been characterised more by reciprocal suspicion than by peaceful exchanges.

Shalateen is the main outpost of the territory and it is also the most important dromedary market of Egypt, managed by nomadic tribes of Arabic and Nubian origins, who have always inhabited those lands. They are the ones who are paying the highest price for the conflict. For many years and despite many promises, they still don’t have citizenship. They are stateless, paperless and worried that if they move they will be arrested. Based on UNHCR data about 10 million people in the world today are stateless. This includes children in certain countries who, without the proper documentation, don’t have access to public healthcare including vaccinations.