Egypt's parliament is trying to mount pressure on Sudan with the key aim of allowing Egyptian commodities into the Sudanese market.

Though Sudan's ousted President Omar al-Bashir announced in October 2018 the removal of the ban on Egyptian products, the decision has not been enforced yet — a matter that prompted the Egyptian parliament to raise questions regarding the reasons lurking behind such procrastination.

More importantly, in light of the current drastic change in Sudan's political scene, the question arises as to whether Bashir's decision will be enforced.

On March 24, Egypt's parliamentary Industry Committee held a meeting in the presence of Osama Shaltout, the assistant foreign minister for African Affairs, to discuss the delay in lifting the ban after receiving complaints from Egyptian exporters.

The committee criticized Sudan’s failure to implement the presidential decision to lift the ban on Egyptian products and recommended holding an urgent meeting with the Egyptian agriculture minister to ensure that Egyptian exports abide by the international food safety standards.

Former Assistant Foreign Minister Mohamed Hijazi said during the meeting that both the Egyptian and Sudanese presidents agreed to lift the ban, but there are “arbitrary” measures from the Sudanese side. A committee is to be formed to solve this problem, he added.

Mohamed Zakariya Mohye el-Din, a member of parliament's Industry Committee, told Al-Monitor, “We managed to schedule a meeting with Agriculture Minister Ezz el-Din Abu Steit to discuss this issue. On April 14, the minister met the parliament's Industry Committee to discuss the motions submitted by me and other parliament members regarding this issue. There have been no official measures to solve this issue, a matter that caused problems for Egyptian exporters.”

“It is our role as parliamentarians to call for official intervention,” Mohye el-Din added.

“There should be more coordination between the ministries of Agriculture and Trade to outline the key reasons lurking behind the suspension of lifting the ban,” he urged.

In 2016, Sudan imposed a temporary ban over fresh and dried vegetables and fruits, as well as fish that are imported from Egypt, since the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization issued new regulations banning importers and exporters from entering some goods into Sudan.

After approximately a 17-month ban, then-President Bashir announced in October 2018 the lifting of the ban following joint talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in Khartoum.

It is worth mentioning that during Sisi's visit to Khartoum, the Egypt-Sudan Ministerial Committee held a meeting during which around 12 agreements were signed in diverse domains.