By Hussein Mahmoud

CAIRO (AA) – A political bloc that calls for the reinstatement of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has called for popular demonstrations on Friday to protest Egypt’s recent decision to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

According to a maritime border agreement inked last week between Cairo and Riyadh, the Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tiran — which for decades had been Egyptian possessions — were put within Saudi territorial waters.

The agreement caused outrage among much of the Egyptian public and the country’s embattled political opposition.

The pro-Morsi National Alliance for the Support of Legitimacy has called on Egyptians to participate in a Friday “demonstrations of rage” against the territorial concession.

In a statement, the alliance accused Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of “selling the islands” to his Saudi patrons, going on to assert Egypt’s historical right to territories “from Halaib and Shalateen [areas disputed between Egypt and Sudan] to the islands of Sanafir and Tiran off the Sinai coast”.

Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader, was ousted in a 2013 military coup that was supported by Saudi Arabia.

Other activists, using social-media platforms, have also called for Friday demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

In a Monday statement, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, which supports the al-Sisi regime, said it was collecting citizens’ signatures with a view to filing a lawsuit against the maritime agreement.

The party also called on Egypt’s parliament to reject the agreement and demanded that a popular referendum be held to decide the issue.

The Watan Party, an Islamist-leaning opposition party, along with some pro-regime media presenters and other prominent personalities, likewise called for a referendum on the issue.

Critics of the maritime agreement cite Article 151 of Egypt’s constitution, which states: “With regards to any treaty of peace and alliance, and treaties related to the rights of sovereignty, voters must be called for a referendum.”

It adds: “In all cases, no treaty may be concluded which is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or which leads to concession of state territories.”

Tiran Island (80 square kilometers) and Sanafir Island (33 square kilometers) both lie at the entrance of the Strait of Tiran and are therefore of considerable strategic significance.

[Photo: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia (L) with the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (R) at the Egyptian Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt on April 8, 2016. During this visit, Egyptian President ceded Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tiran to Saudi Arabia. Photographer: Pool / Egyptian Presidency/AA]