British political ambitions After the two agreements After the withdrawal of the French from Fashoda and before the signing of the January 19 agreement between Egypt and Britain, on March 21, 1899, an agreement was signed between Britain and France. The British asked themselves, now that the field was clear and they had no rivals or opponents, what policy should they pursue? Should they annex Sudan to their ambitions? If they did so, they would find no resistance after Europe's acquiescence and Turkey's silence. They said: If Britain annexes Sudan to its ambitions, Sudan would be like a boat with a thread attached to every living soul in Egypt, and a single cut of a light pair of scissors on that thin thread would sever it. And a blow of a pickaxe in the Nile's course would divert its water, or some of that water, away from Egypt. Those who held this opinion said that if Britain annexed Sudan to its ambitions, it would not be doing anything new, but rather turning the temporary into the permanent. Had they not already raised their claims over Uganda, the Equator, Unyoro, the Albert Nyanza, and Khartoum? Had they not landed their troops in Suakin, Massawa, and Berbera?

However, other people objected to the annexation, and the government began to weigh the pros and cons. It did not occur to them to look at the issue from a legal perspective, nor at the deadlines for withdrawal, nor at the water of the Nile and its tributaries. They only looked at the benefit. Lord Cromer had the final say, and the January 19, 1899 agreement was concluded with his text and opinions. Here is a summary of what he said about it in his report for 1899, which became the basis of their policy thereafter: "Sudan is a pit that swallows millions, like snow melting in the sun. It is the cause of Egyptian financial weakness and fragility. Britain has invested vast sums in it, hoping to recover them when settling accounts. On August 4, 1884, the House of Commons decided to open a credit of 300,000 pounds for its purchase, and the meager credit for Gordon's expedition was forgotten."