Coll 15/1 'Egypt Affairs: General Situation 1931; Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, 1936' [‎19r] (38/493)

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^between Sidky Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and the Foreign
Secretary on the subject of the Sudan.
You emphasised in particular the fears
that had been expressed by the Sudanese
that the recognition by His Majesty’s
Government of the existence of a union
between the Sudan and Egypt repre-
e^Nted by a common crown would
prejudice their advance towards self-
government and the right, conceded to
them by His Majesty’s Government, to
be consulted before any change was made
in the status of the Sudan as a result of
the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty.
‘ ‘ In reply I expressed to you my regret
that the Sudanese should have been
misled by partial disclosures; and I
gave you an assurance which you are
authorised to convey to the leaders of
the Sudanese people that His Majesty’s
Government are for their part deter
mined that nothing shall be permitted
to deflect the Sudan Government, whose
constitution and powers remain un
altered by the recent conversations, from
the task to which that Government had
applied themselves, viz., the preparation
of the Sudanese for self-government and
for the task of choosing freely what their
future status is to be. The Sudan
Protocol in fact provides that the
Sudanese people shall, when they are
ripe for self-government, be free to
choose the future status of the Sudan.
His Majesty’s Government consider that,
in the words used by the Egyptian Prime
Minister to the British Foreign Secre
tary, nothing in the proposed treaty can
prejudice the right of the Sudanese to
achieve their independence nor bind a
people in search of liberty. The
Egyptian Prime Minister pointed out to
the British Foreign Secretary that this
was a universal principle and therefore
not a matter for incorporation in a
treaty.
“ His Majesty’s Government are glad
to learn that you intend immediately on
your return to hold consultations with
representative Sudanese regarding their
closer association with the Administra
tion, and to submit the resulting recom
mendations to the condominium Govern
ments. Meanwhile, the present system
of administration will continue; your
authority will be in no way impaired;
and the agreements of 1899 and
article 11 of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty
of 1936 remain in force.
“ The object of the recent Anglo-
Egyptian negotiations has been to con
clude a treaty acceptable to both parties
and to reaffirm Anglo-Egyptian friend
ship. The Sudanese can only benefit
from harmonious relations between the
British and Egyptian Governments;
their interests can only suffer as a result
of disagreement and strained relations
between those Governments.”
A letter was also sent to Sir H.
Huddleston by the Foreign Secretary
explaining, for the guidance of the British
officials of the Sudan Government, the
exact meaning of the Sudan protocol and
making it clear that no change in the
existing status of the Sudan would result
from its signature.
51. Meanwhile, in Cairo, the disclosures
regarding the Sudan protocol continued to
multiply, and culminated in an article
published on 12th November by one of the
journalists who had accompanied Sidky to
London. The author alleged, inter alia,
that “ Egypt has become directly respon
sible for the Sudanese administration,”
and maintained, in flat contradiction to
His Majesty’s Government's thesis, that
“ this recognition of sovereignty implies a
change in the governmental regime of the
Sudan.” It was accordingly decided that
it would be necessary to exchange letters
with Sidky, at the time of signing the
treaty, confirming the oral understandings
arrived at in London, and a preliminary
warning (based on the press article above-
mentioned) was given to the Egyptian
Minister for Foreign Affairs for Sidky
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. on 16th November. Shortly after
wards His Majesty’s Government obtained
knowledge of the text of the explanatory
note on the London conversations drafted
by Sidky Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. for use with the Egyptian
Delegation. This note argued conclusively
that the protocol did not give the Sudan
the right to secede from Egyptian
sovereignty. Accordingly, His Majesty’s
Charge d’Affaires in Cairo, who had been
provided with a list of the points on which
His Majesty’s Government regarded
agreed interpretations as essential, com
municated these points orally to Sidky
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. (who was indisposed), through the
Secretary-General of the Egyptian
Delegation on 20th November, stressing
more particularly the point that the
Sudanese should have, when the time came,
the right to choose freely their future
status, including the choice of indepen
dence if they desired it. This message
resulted in Sidki instructing the Egyptian
Ambassador in London to take up the whole
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