Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited Egypt earlier this month, the first head of state to do so following the Egyptian revolution. In an email interview, Jacob Høigilt, a Middle East researcher at the Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, discussed Egypt-Sudan relations.
WPR: What was the state of Egypt-Sudan relations prior to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak?
Jacob Høigilt: Relations were highly ambiguous during the Mubarak era. Historically, Egypt and Sudan have enjoyed a close relationship. There has been much movement of people across the borders, and both governments have supported each other against the other Nile Basin countries in conflicts over water. But the ideology and policies of the Islamist administration in Khartoum caused relations to deteriorate during the 1990s. As the Sudanese government became more isolated internationally, it could not afford to have Egypt as an enemy and gradually adopted more-pragmatic policies. Before Jan. 25, relations between the two were at least cordial. However, the Sudanese resented what they viewed as Egyptian arrogance, while the Egyptians harbored serious doubts about some elements of the Sudanese elite and feared a return to radical Islamist policies in the North after the Southern secession.