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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Living Features Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Reconciliation clinched with Sudan
By Dina EzzatEgypt and Sudan are no longer talking about improving their bilateral relations. They are taking concrete steps to better them.
A major breakthrough was made last week when an Egyptian delegation arrived in Khartoum to retake possession of some of the Egyptian properties that had been confiscated by the Sudanese government in the early 1990s, when relations between the two Nile valley states plummeted. After over a year of tough negotiations and several disappointments, Sudan restored last Thursday all six rest-houses that belong to the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation. The Egyptian delegation was headed by Fouad Youssef, assistant to the foreign minister.
"It is true that there are still other properties that have not been handed over, particularly those which belong to the Egyptian Ministry of Education, but this is not the important point now. The point is that the Sudanese government is honouring the principle of restoring the confiscated properties," an Egyptian official told Al-Ahram Weekly. "This move is very significant. But, buildings apart, our relations with Sudan are more strategic in nature."
In other words, Egypt is not going to get too tough on, for example, the issue of the confiscated Khartoum branch of Cairo University. "Educational institutions are difficult because there are so many logistic details that need to be sorted out; we are willing to give them time," the source added.
Indications of improved relations go beyond property hand-overs. This week, while in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, for the summit of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Foreign Minister Amr Moussa spoke with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Informed sources told the Weekly that although the encounter was "brief" and "almost casual," it "reflected a sense of good faith on both sides."
"Egypt and Sudan seem to be getting more determined by the hour to fix all the loopholes in their relationship," one well- informed source told the Weekly.
According to a source, who requested anonymity, "It is all moving so well, and also so fast; much faster than we would have thought a few weeks ago." Moreover, the near future, some sources say, may witness even greater signs of warming-up. "We are talking about a possible exchange of visits between high-ranking officials. There are no particular visits scheduled yet; but, yes, very high-ranking Sudanese officials may be in Cairo and a senior Egyptian official may arrive in Khartoum within the coming few months."
The same well-informed source added, "The political leadership [in Cairo] may be receiving high-ranking Sudanese officials; and this may happen sooner rather than later."
Indeed, Moussa and his Sudanese opposite number, Mustafa Othman Ismail, met for hours in Cairo earlier this week to discuss the mechanism of promoting bilateral relations.
Ismail, asked after the meeting if he expected the long vacant post of the Egyptian ambassador in Khartoum to be filled soon, responded: "Well, Sudan has its ambassador in Cairo." For his part, Moussa commented, "We are currently taking measures to enhance progress in bilateral relations; these measures will ultimately take us there."
According to diplomatic sources, the major part of the Moussa-Ismail talks was devoted to the issue of reconciliation between the various Sudanese factions. Asked by reporters if his government had a problem attending a reconciliation conference, Ismail responded: "We, as a government, welcome the Egyptian role [in bringing about this reconciliation]. We have no problem meeting with the opposition in a conference to be arranged by Egypt." Ismail added that his government has no preconditions and the matter is left for Cairo to decide, on the basis of its contacts with all the concerned parties.
"We are getting signals from the parties that they are keen on entering this reconciliation process," an Egyptian diplomatic source said. "But for us to decide to be involved in calling for such a meeting, we have to be sure that all the right bases are there; this is the focus of our efforts now. This is what we are hoping to achieve soon."
Are there any apprehensions of a possible setback to either bilateral Egypt-Sudan or inter-Sudanese reconciliation? Answered one source: "I think we have passed that phase. This is behind us now."
