In the years following the construction of the Canal, the British took control of the region surrounding the canal. In 1888, the Convention of Constantinople decreed that the Suez Canal would operate as a neutral zone, under the protection of the British. The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 reaffirmed Britain’s control over the waterway, until 1951, when the Egyptians pulled out of the Treaty.
After years of negotiation, the British withdrew their troops from the Suez Canal in 1956, handing over control to the Egyptian government, who quickly nationalized the Canal and transferred ownership to Suez Canal Authority, a quasi-government agency, in July 1956.
Angered by this move, and the Egyptians’ increasing closeness with the Soviet Union, the U.K. and the U.S. withdrew promised financial support for planned improvements on the Canal. However, when the Egyptians decided to close t he Straits of Tiran, a body of water linking Israel with the Red Sea, to all Israeli ships, the U.K, France and Israel threatened to invade Egypt.
Fearing an escalation of conflict, the establishment of a first-of-its-kind United Nations peacekeeping force was recommended to protect the Canal and ensure access to everyone. The proposal was ratified by the UN on November 4, 1956 and the Suez Canal Company continued to operate the waterway while the peacekeeping force maintained access and peace in the nearby Sinai Peninsula.
In 1967, at the onset of the war between the Arab countries and Israel, the UN peacekeeping forces were ordered to leave the Sinai Peninsula. This led Israel to send troops to the region and ultimately capture the east bank of the Suez Canal. In a bid to stop Israeli ships from accessing the waterway, the Egyptian president ordered for a blockade on all maritime traffic in the Canal. Close to 15 cargo ships that had entered the Canal before the call were stranded there for years together.
After the Canal was cleared by British and U.S. minesweepers, the Suez Canal the new Egyptian president reopened it in 1975. Meanwhile, the Israeli troops remained in the Sinai Peninsula until 1981, when as part of the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty of 1979, the Multinational Force and Observers was stationed there to maintain order and protect the canal.
The new Suez Canal
When it was first constructed, the canal would allow ships with up to about 20 m depth below water level and 68 m height above water level to pass through it. Vessels with these configurations were called Suezmax.
Ships could travel the entire stretch of the Canal, and pass through the Great Bitter Lake, which was a designated holding and passing area of the Canal.
However, in 2015, the New Suez Canal was opened parallel to the current one, and widening and deepening of the present canal was undertaken. The 35 km-long New Suez Canal would facilitate two-way traffic in the Canal and reduce the time spent by ships in the holding and passing areas. It would also reduce the transit time through the Canal from 18 hours to 11 hours.
Picture Credit : Google