Betul Yilmaz
15 October 2025•Update: 15 October 2025
ISTANBUL
Egypt and Sudan reiterated their firm rejection on Wednesday of any unilateral measures regarding the Blue Nile, where Ethiopia built a dam project disputed by the two downstream nations.
Speaking during a meeting in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, the two leaders renewed “their firm rejection of any unilateral measures taken on the Blue Nile that contradict the relevant principles of international law,” a presidency statement said.
Burhan stressed that Sudan and Egypt share the same position regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
According to the statement, the two leaders agreed to enhance efforts to establish coordination mechanisms to safeguard their shared water rights.
Last month, Ethiopia inaugurated the nearly $5 billion GERD, Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam project, marking the completion of more than a decade of construction on the Blue Nile, a tributary of the Nile River. The project has long been disputed by downstream nations Egypt and Sudan over its filling and operation.
Meanwhile, Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for “Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and its categorical rejection of any attempts that could threaten its security, undermine its national cohesion, or establish parallel entities to the legitimate Sudanese government,” the statement said.
Burhan, for his part, expressed appreciation for Egypt’s continued support, “which reflects the depth of brotherly ties between the two peoples and contributes to Sudan’s efforts to overcome its current crisis and restore security and stability.”
The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
In July, the Sudanese Founding Alliance, a coalition led by the RSF, announced the formation of a parallel government led by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
