Egypt and Sudan discuss water security

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Sudan held talks in Cairo on December 29, discussing water security and Somalia`s proposed dam on the river Nile. According to Anadolu Ajansı, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Al-Sharif, pledging to maintain coordination and cooperation between the two countries to protect their water security.

Egypt and Sudan, are both downstream countries, have been in conflict with Ethiopia (which is upstream) over a proposal for a dam being built on the river Nile.

Cairo has concerns the Ethiopian dam may reduce their water share from the Nile River. This is especially significant as the river is the country’s only source of freshwater.

Ethiopia, on the other hand, continues to maintain that the dam is crucial in its development and for electricity output.

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This comes after years of negotiations between all three countries on the dam’s filling and operation have been unsuccessful.

Both ministers also agreed on the importance of respecting Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, even through their disputes with the country.

Anadolu Ajansı