Egypt and Sudan Forge Alliance to Safeguard Nile Water Security Amid GERD Concerns

Egypt and Sudan have jointly declared their unequivocal opposition to any unilateral actions concerning the Eastern Nile Basin. Both nations highlighted the significant and ongoing repercussions of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which they assert was constructed in contravention of international law. They further emphasized that the GERD poses a continuous threat to downstream Nile Basin states, particularly due to Ethiopia's independent management of the dam and the absence of a legally binding framework for its operation.

During the third iteration of the “2+2” consultative meetings, attended by the foreign and irrigation ministers of Egypt and Sudan, along with their respective delegations, discussions focused on the latest developments regarding the Nile River. A key outcome was the reinforced understanding that the water security of both Sudan and Egypt is intrinsically interconnected. The ministers underscored the imperative to defend the water security of downstream Nile states and to uphold the complete water rights and usage entitlements of both Egypt and Sudan, as established by the 1959 agreement, ensuring no compromise on these rights.

The two countries urged Ethiopia to cease its unilateral approach and to re-establish cooperation in line with prevailing international law. This includes adherence to the principles of avoiding harm, providing prior notification, engaging in consultation, and reaching consensus to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Nile River. They also stressed that the GERD issue is exclusively a matter for the three Eastern Nile Basin states – Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia – and rejected any attempts by Ethiopia to involve other Nile Basin nations.

In a significant development, the governments of Egypt and Sudan signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on water resource development projects in Sudan. This initiative is part of a broader Egyptian effort to foster development within Nile Basin countries. The signing ceremony was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Sudanese counterpart, Mohieddin Salem.

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Sewilam, commented that the primary challenge in the Nile Basin is not a lack of water resources, but rather a deficit in cooperation among the basin states. He noted that the region benefits from abundant rainfall, with the core of the dispute centering on the management and control of Nile waters, despite the availability of technical solutions for both water and energy needs.

Minister Sewilam elaborated that the eleven Nile Basin countries collectively receive approximately seven trillion cubic meters of rainfall annually, encompassing water resources from the Nile River, the Congo River, and other internal river systems. The Nile Basin itself holds an estimated two trillion cubic meters of water resources, with Egypt receiving only about 2.7 percent of this total. He highlighted that Ethiopia receives over 1,000 billion cubic meters of rainfall annually and possesses more than 80 billion cubic meters of renewable groundwater. Sewilam reiterated that the dispute with Ethiopia pertains to water and energy issues, for which technical solutions exist. He pointed out Ethiopia's substantial potential in solar (up to 50 gigawatts) and wind energy (30-50 gigawatts), questioning the insistence on constructing mega-dams.