CAIRO — The opening of the land port between Egypt and Sudan on Aug. 27 triggered many questions about the extent of harmony and reconciliation between the two countries; things have been tense since the days of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Cairo has been trying to win over the hearts of the Sudanese government and people since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power. This is despite concerns that Omar al-Bashir’s Islamist regime in Sudan preferred the Muslim Brotherhood, which saw several of its members flee to Sudan after Mohammed Morsi’s ouster. However, national security matters pushed the Egyptian government to overcome this issue and try to reach rapprochement with Sudan once again.

The rapprochement initiatives of the Egyptian government with Sudan began to take shape after the surprise visit of Sisi to Khartoum on June 27. Moreover, the inauguration of the Eshkeet-Qustul land port was expedited to serve the rapprochement, despite having been delayed more than three years.

Sudanese Ambassador to Cairo Abdel Mahmoud Abdel Halim was upbeat about Egypt-Sudan relations in an interview with Al-Monitor. “The relations now are at their best and are kicking off significantly,” he said, describing the opening of the border crossing as a “historical step” aimed at increasing the social and cultural communication space first and foremost.