ASSESSMENTS

Sudan, Uganda: The End of a Rivalry

Sep 25, 2015 | 09:15 GMT

Sudan, Uganda: The End of a Rivalry
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (C-R) walks alongside Sudanese President Omar al Bashir during a welcome ceremony in Khartoum on Sept. 15.

(ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

Uganda and Sudan are renewing their efforts to restore relations after years of strain. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni traveled to Khartoum for an official visit from Sept. 15-16 and met with his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al Bashir. The visit was Museveni's first to Sudan since 2006, when he visited Juba. (The city was then in Sudan but is now the capital of South Sudan.) Museveni's trip is the latest step not just toward improving mutual ties but also toward Sudan improving its relationship with the West.

This recent push is more likely to bear fruit than those in the past. Conditions have changed in both countries. The status of South Sudan as an independent state is now largely settled, meaning that Uganda is no longer indirectly fighting Sudan through South Sudanese rebel proxies. Instead, South Sudan has become a net positive by serving as a buffer between Sudan and Uganda. The change coincides with a period of relative domestic stability in Kampala and Khartoum after years of instability. The alignment of circumstances could lead to normal ties between Kampala and Khartoum.

Now that their domestic troubles are mostly over and South Sudan is mostly pacified, Sudan and Uganda can repair their relationship....

Keep Reading

Register to read three free articles

Proceed to sign up

Register Now

Already have an account?

Sign In