Between Egypt and Sudan

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I have known Sudan since I was a young child, when I learned that a family member traveled to Khartoum to study at one of the Egyptian military colleges, which moved to Sudan in the wake of the June 1967 war, to avoid being bombed, after the country was stripped of its air deterrents due to defeat.

Meanwhile, I was able to know that Sudan is the place where the Egyptians keep their precious deposits in times of crises, and it is the country in which they secure their children who will return after preparing them for the task of liberating the land and removing the effects of aggression.

When I heard the Sudanese artist Abdel Karim Al-Kabli sing: “Egypt, my country’s sister, my sister,” I had moved to Abu Dhabi to work in “Al-Ittihad” newspaper, where my Sudanese colleagues there only called me “Oh son of the Nile.”

I had no need for the media in order to know from them what Sudan means to Egypt. Personal experiences and tangible experiences sufficed me with this need, so that a simple, direct, and very clear idea was firmly established in my conscience: Egyptians and Sudanese are one people in two countries.

Among the details of my daily life, seeing good Sudanese faces was a common occurrence in Cairo and other areas in Egypt. They were constantly present: in markets, cafes, means of transportation, and on television screens. When I became involved in journalistic work, Sudanese sources were abundant in Egypt, as if they were a natural extension of Sudanese political and cultural life, as the Sudanese live in their closest neighbor, geographically and emotionally, just as they live in their country.

Later, I read in the literature on Egyptian-Sudanese relations that both countries constitute a strategic depth for the other, and that the decision to nationalize the liberation battle against the Israeli aggression was taken in Khartoum, and that Egypt, in turn, was never late in supporting Sudan and supporting the choices of its people towards independence, achieving peace and achieving development, exerting in this regard all the resources and efforts it could.

It is true that Egyptian-Sudanese relations are not devoid of discrepancies and sometimes disagreements, but these discrepancies have never been able to undermine the overwhelming feeling between Egyptians and Sudanese of one destiny.

The political frameworks in the two countries have usually worked hard to keep these political differences separate from the deep strategic relations and warm humanitarian relations.

Now, these relations are passing through a cloud of dark shadows, and within this cloud appear attempts and measures by parties that want to create a rift between the two countries and the two peoples, and are investing significant resources in this, some of which appear in traditional media, and most of which fuel discord on “social media.”

In its relations with Sudan, Egypt starts from clear principles: Sudan is not just a neighbor created by geography on Egypt's southern border, but it is a country with deep and extended ties to Egypt, which requires the two countries to search for and maximize commonalities, and confront challenges with permanent coordination and solidarity.

Egypt has a clear and consistent position towards the political developments interacting in the countries of the region in the era of Arab change, the features of which began to appear and influence since the beginning of the last decade. In this position, Egypt will reject regime change by force, the collapse of state authority, and the spread of militia influence, and will emphasize the role of the national state and regular armies in maintaining security, stability and peace.

Within this position, Egypt will make intensive efforts to ensure the unity of Sudan, the integrity of its lands, and the security of its people. It will be keen to oppose the policies of some greedy forces calling for chaos and undermining the centrality of the state and its civil peace in that brotherly country. This matter will not be in the interest of many, and they will not miss an opportunity to exacerbate problems, manufacture differences, and fan the fire of discord.

When unrest occurred and the flames of war broke out in Sudan, millions of Sudanese brothers found a place in Egypt, where they lived, worked, studied, and received treatment, in safety and with dignity. The Egyptians saw in this nothing but a duty and responsibility towards their brothers in their ordeal.

However, two accidental incidents that occurred recently turned into a tool by some parties to create a dispute between the two brotherly peoples, and voices emerged seeking to ignite the flames of disagreement and incite the two peoples against each other. Unfortunately, some people got involved in this dispute with a malicious plan to serve biased interests, while others with good intentions got involved due to social media pressure, abuse of national emotions, and lack of information.

The official frameworks in the two countries have noticed this problem, and officials on both sides have begun attempts to clarify matters and quell the strife before it escalates, and this is something that must continue with great determination.

What brings Egypt and Sudan together is a long and extended history, unity in destiny and fate, and challenges facing the two countries that threaten their common interests. Overcoming the differences and occasional differences between them is a necessity in order to make the sedition makers miss the opportunity.

For this to happen, the two countries must intend to communicate more, build on commonalities, clarify aspects of disagreement, and work to resolve them, in a way that preserves for the two countries the long legacy of cooperation, coexistence, synergy, and solidarity as it has been throughout history.

Quoted from Al-Masry Al-Youm