Facing my national and social obligations, and in that year Sir Stewart Symes, the Governor-General of Sudan, contacted me and informed me that an Egyptian agricultural delegation would visit Sudan. The Governor-General told me that as a man of agriculture and business, I might benefit from the visit of this delegation. For my part, I believed that Sudan could not do without strengthening economic ties between the two countries. When the delegation arrived, I invited them to visit Gezira Aba. The visit was during the flood season, when "Khor Al-Jasser" separates Gezira Aba from the shore, making it difficult to reach. The heads of the delegation in Khartoum prevented me from renting "Khor Al-Jasser" for the Egyptian delegation to transport the guests to Aba. A day before their arrival, I had no choice but to fill in Al-Jasser. My followers quickly built a bridge, blocking the eastern tongue of the Nile, so the guests' vehicles passed over it until they entered the island. Prince Omar Toussoun, the head of the delegation, sent me a kind telegram expressing his appreciation for the reception the delegation received. The Governor-General of Sudan also informed me after the delegation's visit that I had opened the door for contact between Egypt and Sudan after England had closed it in 1924 AD. Strangely, the government seemed displeased with the success of the Egyptian delegation's visit and the warm reception that strengthened my standing and that of the people. It expressed its displeasure by closing the Gandal project, which used to bring me about three thousand pounds annually.

The Ethiopian War and the 1936 Treaty In that year, 1935, the political atmosphere in Europe began to darken, and relations between Italy and England became strained, signaling an impending war. Mussolini harbored ambitions of establishing an empire on the ruins of the British Empire and struck his first blow in Ethiopia, our dear neighbor. The Ethiopians fought fiercely against the invaders, but in the end, modern weapons prevailed. This is exactly what happened to us at Omdurman in 1898. The Emperor of Ethiopia was forced to leave his country and reside in Europe. When World War II broke out in 1936, he returned to his country. The Sudanese government housed him in a palace on the outskirts of Khartoum. I used to visit the Emperor often to cheer him up and alleviate his distress and the hardships of his country. I invited him to visit my home and my farms on the outskirts of the city. I recognized in the Emperor a great man, strong-willed, who had not lost faith in the justice of his country's cause and his people. The Emperor, while abroad and before returning to his homeland, honored me by bestowing upon me a medal, which I accepted with gratitude. The bond of affection between us remained strong to this day. 51