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During the late 19th century, Africa was rapidly being occupied by European colonial powers. This period in African history is usually called the Scramble for Africa. The two major powers involved in this scramble were the United Kingdom and France.

It came to pass that the French thrust into the African interior was mainly from West Africa (modern day Senegal) eastward, through the Sahel along the southern border of the Sahara, a territory covering modern day Senegal, Mali, Niger, and Chad. Their ultimate aim was to have an uninterrupted link between the Niger river and the NileThe Nile ( Arabic: an-nil , in Africa, is one of the two longest rivers on Earth. Whether the Nile is longer than South America's Amazon still remains the subject of much debate. This is, for the most part, due to two reasons: first, the lengths of rivers, hence controlling all trade to and from the Sahel region, by virtue of their existing control over the Caravan routes through the Sahara.

The British, on the other hand, wanted to link their possessions in Southern AfricaSouthern Africa refers to the southern part of the African continent. It is regarded as being part of Sub-Saharan Africa. Southern Africa (a region) should not be confused with the South Africa (a country within that region). Southern africa is a distinct (modern South AfricaSouth Africa is a republic at the southern tip of Africa. It is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the north-east by Mozambique and Swaziland. Lesotho is contained entirely inside the borders of South Africa. South Africa is one o, BotswanaThe Republic of Botswana Lefatshe la Botswana is a landlocked nation of southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent on September 30, 1966. It is bordered by South Africa to t, ZimbabweThe Republic of Zimbabwe is a country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Victoria Falls, Zambesi river, Kariba Dam and Limpopo river. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west, Zambia to the north, and ZambiaRepublic of Zambia ( In Detail) National motto: One Zambia, One Nation Official language English Capital Lusaka President Levy Mwanawasa Independence October 24 1964 Area Total % water Ranked 38th 752,614 km² 1% Population Total (2003) Density Ranked 77th), with their territories in East Africa (modern Kenya), and these two areas with the Nile basin. Sudan (which in those days included modern day Uganda) was obviously the key to the fulfillment of these ambitions, especially since Egypt was already under British control. This 'red line' through Africa is made most famous by Cecil Rhodes.

When one draws a line from Cape Town to Cairo (Rhodes' dream), and one from Dakar to the Horn (the French ambition), these two lines intersect somewhere in eastern Sudan near Fashoda, explaining its strategic importance. In short, Britain had sought to extend its East African empire contiguously from Cairo to the Cape of Good Hope, while France had sought to extend its own holdings from Dakar to the Sudan, which would enable its empire to span the entire continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.

A French force under Jean-Baptiste Marchand arrived first at the strategically located fort at Fashoda soon followed by a British force under Lord Kitchener, commander in chief of the British army since 1892. The French withdrew after a standoff, but continued to press claims to other posts in the region. In March 1899 the French and British agreed that the source of the Nile and the Congo rivers should mark the frontier between their spheres of influence.

Some historians consider that the resolution of this incident and the increase in strength of Germany were the precursors of the Entente Cordiale.