Egypt and Sudan reject Ethiopian dam management
Cairo and Khartoum reaffirm 1959 Nile water rights and warn of threats to their water security.
Egypt and Sudan on Monday rejected unilateral actions in the Eastern Nile Basin, stating Ethiopia's management of its Blue Nile dam without a legal framework threatens their water security. The joint statement followed a "2+2" meeting in Cairo between the foreign and irrigation ministers of both nations.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Water Resources Minister Hani Sewilam met with their Sudanese counterparts Mohi El-Din Salem and Ismat Qurashi. The two countries declared their water security indivisible and reaffirmed their rights under the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement, calling for Ethiopia to cooperate under international law.
They also rejected involving other Nile Basin countries in the dispute, which they stated concerns only Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Both nations agreed to support their Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters and discussed development projects in the southern Nile Basin, provided they meet technical standards and are agreed upon.
Why it mattersEgypt and Sudan's water security is threatened by Ethiopia's dam management without a binding legal agreement.