Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart, Ibrahim Ghandour, confirmed during a phone call the depth and specificity of their relations, rejecting any insult towards each other, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
The call—aimed at confirming relations and discussing various aspects of Sudanese-Egyptian relations—came following controversial statements made by the Sudanese minister of information.
The minister’s statements included certain claims about Egypt’s history and monuments.
“Sudan ruled Egypt, and not many people know that the pharaoh Mousa was one of the Sudanese pharaohs that ruled Egypt,” the minister said.
He also continued that “Egypt has one river, while Sudan has several rivers,” adding that the alleged fact, “is one of several scientific and archaeological evidences that will be provided in the near future.”
The minister also added that a number of Sudanese professors are now working on revising history books from the errors in order to prove the civilization of his country. He concluded that his country will prove to the world that Sudanese pyramids are older than the Egyptian ones, and this is something he will work on clarifying during the upcoming period.
In this regard, the ministers affirmed their total rejection for any unacceptable violations or abuse between the two states that could take place under any circumstances and for whatever reasons or justifications.
Both also stressed on the need to intensify their dealings with the utmost wisdom to face attempts aiming to drive a wedge between both countries and damage their relationship through social media.
The statements coincided with Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser’s visit to Sudan, as she is a member in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals and arrived in Sudan to inspect some project there.
Egyptian media outlets linked the visit to the minister’s statements, as Sheikha visited the Sudanese pyramids and published pictures from there.
During the end of the call, the ministers expressed their full appreciation for each other’s countries’ culture, history, and civilization. They agreed to hold the next round of political consultation in Khartoum at the level of foreign ministers during the first half of April 2017.
