By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudanese authorities have banned the international media from covering the visit of Egypt’s president to Sudan set to start on Thursday.

Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi is due to arrive for a two-day visit to Khartoum today to meet his Sudanese counterpart Omer al-Bashir.

Correspondents working for international media got a message from the Sudanese Information Ministry ordering them not to cover the visit, explaining that the move is parallel to Egyptian authorities’ treatment during Bashir’s visit this March.

“As we adopt the similar treatment conducted by Egyptian authorities during the visit of President Bashir to Cairo, we announce that coverage of the visit of Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi is only allowed for state and local media outlets," the message said.

Egyptian Ambassador to Khartoum Usama Shaltot said the visit will be dominated by bilateral issues including political and trade issues in addition to the regional crises of South Sudan and Libya among others.

He added that al-Sisi will be accompanied by his ministers of foreign affairs, defense, water resources, and agriculture.

Ties between the two countries have been tense over the last few months due to border disputes and Sudan’s trade embargo on Egyptian goods, among other regional issues.