Egypt, Sudan discuss water security, support for Somalia

CAIRO

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Sudan held talks in Cairo on Sunday to discuss water security and support for the Horn of Africa country of Somalia.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Al-Sharif during which they discussed water security, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The two ministers emphasized the necessity of maintaining coordination and cooperation between the two countries to protect their water security, it added.

Egypt and Sudan, two downstream countries, have been at odds with Ethiopia, an upstream nation, over a dam project being built on the Nile River.

Cairo fears that the Ethiopian dam will reduce its water share from the Nile River, the country’s only source of freshwater. Ethiopia, however, maintains that the dam is vital for its development and electricity generation
Years of negotiations between the three countries on the dam’s filling and operation have failed to make a breakthrough.

Regarding Somalia, the two ministers agreed on the importance of respecting Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity and supported the Horn of Africa country’s efforts to combat terrorism the statement said.

Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia escalated in January 2023 when Ethiopia signed an agreement with the breakaway Somaliland region, allowing Ethiopian access to its coastline on the Gulf of Aden.

In early December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a "historic agreement" between Somalia and Ethiopia to resolve their disputes.

Separately, Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's full support for Sudan amid a deadly conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group since April 2023.

He reiterated Egypt’s call for an immediate cease-fire in Sudan and accelerating the delivery of humanitarian aid into the country.

The conflict in Sudan has claimed more than 20,000 lives, displaced millions, and left more than 25 million in dire need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi