Kodok
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Kodok | |
Location in Sudan | |
Coordinates: | |
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Country | Sudan |
State | Upper Nile |
Kodok (Arabic: كودوك) (formerly Fashoda) is a town in the southeastern Sudanese state of Upper Nile.
It is chiefly known for being the site of the 1898 Fashoda Incident between the United Kingdom and France. The British were attempting to create a solid block of influence from southern Africa through East Africa to Egypt, which was already under British control. Meanwhile, the French were attempting to expand from West Africa along the southern border of the Sahara Desert in order to control all of the trade through the Sahel. The intersection of these lines of intended control passed through Kodok and a standoff between armed expeditionary forces led the two countries to the brink of war. The outcome in Britain's favour contributed to the stabilisation of colonial claims and the eventual end of the 'Scramble for Africa'. The incident gave rise to what is known as the 'Fashoda syndrome' in French foreign policy. In 1904 the development of the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale prompted the British to change the town's name to Kodok in the hope of obliterating the memory of the incident.