Hanish Islands

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The Hanish Islands (Arabic: جزر هانيش) are an island group in the Red Sea. Most of them are a part of Yemen, but prior to 1998-1999 they were claimed by Eritrea, as well. After a long trial with an international court under the guidance of Dr. Abdul-Karim Aleryani, Yemen was granted full ownership of the larger islands while Eritrea was awarded the peripheral islands to the southwest of the larger islands^[1].

[edit] History

The Hanish Islands were claimed by Turkey until 1923 when they were abandoned. From that point forward they were administered by the Colony of Eritrea until 1941. In 1941, after the defeat of the Italian Colonial forces, the British army established Eritrea as a protectorate. Throughout the 1970's Ethiopia (who annexed Eritrea), and Yemen claimed the islands. Ethiopian interest in the Islands stemmed from the fact that Eritrean liberation groups used the Hanish Islands, and the nearby Zukur Islands, as a base to attack Ethiopian military interests.^[2]

In 1991 Eritrea gained independence and in 1995 attempted to excercise sovreignty over the archipelago. This started the Hanish islands crises which eventually arbitrated after a brief conflict.

[edit] References

1. ^ International Maritime Boundary. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
2. ^ Killion, Tom (1998). Historical Dictionary of Eritrea. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810834375.

Coordinates: 13°45′N 42°45′E