** #5 Sudan lifts ban on Egyptian goods: Sudan agreed on Thursday to lift a ban on Egyptian agriculture and animal products that has been in place since March 2017, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir announced during a visit to Khartoum by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Reuters reports. Trade and Industry Minister Amr Nassar said he expects the move to boost exports in the coming months, especially as both countries work together to resolve any outstanding trade issues. This came as El Sisi and Al Bashir oversaw the signing of several MoUs in fields including agriculture, health, education, and media, Ittihadiya said. The two leaders also sat down for talks that centered around bilateral ties and joint projects such as the new 630 km railway line that would connect both countries as well as an electricity grid connection program.

Background: Sudan had imposed a blanket ban on imports of Egyptian agricultural and animal products last year as relations between both sides deteriorated, with Al Bashir accusing Egypt directly of arming rebels, a charge emphatically denied by El Sisi. Renewed commitments of brotherly love began to re-emerge earlier this year following a breakthrough in talks with Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).