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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Sudan
Index
In 1991 Sudan's relations with its most important neighbor
were strained. This was partially a legacy of Cairo's close
support of Nimeiri prior to 1985. Sudan was one of the few Arab
countries that backed Egypt in 1979 after Anwar as Sadat signed a
separate peace agreement with Israel, and Nimeiri had taken a
leading role in the early 1980s to help rehabilitate Egypt's
position with the rest of the Arab world. Nimeiri was in Egypt en
route home from a trip to the United States when his government
was overthrown. Egyptian president Husni Mubarak granted Nimeiri
political asylum and rejected Sudan's subsequent calls for his
extradition. Beginning in 1986, relations gradually improved and
they were relatively normal by the time the Bashir coup occurred.
Relations with Egypt deteriorated steadily after the RCC-NS
came to power. The Bashir regime was convinced that Egypt
supported opposition politicians, several of whom, including
Mirghani, were granted political asylum; the NDA was also allowed
to operate in Egypt. Mirghani and other leaders, including
Nimeiri, issued regular criticisms of the government from the
relative safe haven of Cairo. The RCC-NS responded by providing
asylum to Egyptian Islamic activists against whom were pending
various criminal charges and by encouraging NIF supporters
residing in Egypt physically to assault the organization's
opponents. Relations were further strained early in 1990 when the
Egyptian government invited a high-ranking SPLM delegation to
Cairo. Even before the Persian Gulf crisis erupted in August,
Mubarak accused Sudan of stationing Iraqi missiles on its soil
and aiming them at the Aswan High Dam, a charge strongly denied
by the RCC-NS. Relations only worsened after Sudan refused to
join the Arab coalition against Iraq. As of mid-1991, Egypt had
not returned its ambassador to Khartoum and was openly providing
financial support to the DUP, the SPLM, and other opposition
groups.
Data as of June 1991
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