19 - 25 July 2001
Issue No.543
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 19 - 25 July 2001 Issue No.543 |
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Organic bonds
Prime Minister Atef Ebeid's visit to Khartoum pleased me more than you can imagine, since it reaffirmed the two countries' positive connection. I have since found out that some 20 agreements were signed during that visit, the results of which will be beneficial in many ways, of course. My own satisfaction with these developments has deeper roots, however, since I belong to a generation that believed, rightly or wrongly, that Egypt and Sudan are one entity never to be separated. This is why the attempt to flesh out and support mutual relations between the two countries in every aspect of life has my unconditional enthusiasm.
Relations had deteriorated almost to the point of being completely severed, so tense were the disagreements. However much we disagree, though, I hope this never happens, for there is a permanent link between us. If we cannot return to being one country, let us at least complement each other. How could we possibly break that organic link emanating from the Nile and from our shared history? In ancient times Egypt had borders in the north, the east and the west, but the south was always open. Then there was Nubia, which straddled both countries. Egypt ruled the south or was ruled by it, which is why so many Egyptian families have Sudanese blood and vice versa. And in modern times the trend continued: intermarriage was frequent. As a child in Abbasiya I remember many neighbouring houses in which the father was Sudanese, the mother Egyptian or else the other way round. No one ever thought of the two countries as separate entities.
This explains why both Mohamed Naguib, the first Egyptian president, and Anwar El-Sadat had Sudanese mothers. Had it been another country, this might have prevented them from becoming president.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
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