Renewed cooperation: Egypt meets Sudan to discuss water rights

Regional concerns continue as Egypt and Sudan officials meet in Cairo seeking renewed cooperation on water rights on the River Nile.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, received the Sudanese Prime Minister ahead of a joint briefing according to Africa News on August 7th.

Egypt’s long-standing grievance over the (GERD) was an expectedly key part of the meeting, with Madbouly expressing a “complete rejection of the unilateral steps that Ethiopia is taking with regards to the Nile River.”

Last month, Egypt stated that Ethiopia has consistently lacked the necessary political will to come to a binding agreement on the now complete dam.

The GERD is expected to reduce Egypt’s already minimal share of water coming from the Nile, which acts as a key water source for over 100 million people and indeed most of the country’s agricultural sector.

Both Egypt and Sudan say the dam could cause major ramifications for downstream countries’ interests and water rights. If Ethiopia continues to ignore its neighbour’s concerns, tensions in the region spiral even further.

Speaking in his first visit abroad since taking office, Idris seemed to confirm the two countries renewed cooperation, saying “there is agreement” and “consensus” regarding matters that were discussed.

Meanwhile, Sudan has been trapped in a brutal civil war since April 2023.

With over 40,000 people now killed in the conflict, the power struggle between the military and the RSF has created one of the world’s largest displacement emergencies.

Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, has largely been destroyed, including key sites such as the airport and presidential palace. However, a slow rebuilding has begun as residents return and markets reopen, though basic services and electricity remain inaccessible in many parts of the city.

Egypt currently hosts 1.5 million refugees from Sudan who fled north across the border.

Around 7 million people remain displaced internally as the war reaches across the country.

Africanews, Maghrebi.org.