Egypt and Sudan have reaffirmed their shared position regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), accusing Addis Ababa of exacerbating water risks and violating international law by acting unilaterally.
During a visit to Port Sudan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Sudanese counterpart, Mouhieddin Salem. Both diplomats stressed that the lack of coordination over the GERD had contributed to the devastating floods in Sudan, which caused significant human and material losses. “Respect for international law and the rejection of unilateral decisions must guide Nile water management,” they said.
During the visit, Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s solidarity with Sudan, reaffirming support for the country’s stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He also highlighted the need for a ceasefire and humanitarian truce to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese population.
These statements followed a meeting the previous day between Abdelatty and Sudanese Sovereign Council head Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, during which the Egyptian minister directly criticised uncontrolled releases from the Ethiopian dam and noted that negotiations remained at an impasse. The Sudanese Ministry of Irrigation also attributed the sharp rise in water levels to a combination of exceptional rainfall and releases from the GERD.
This diplomatic alignment between Cairo and Khartoum confirms a united front by the downstream Nile countries against Ethiopia at a time when water increasingly constitutes a strategic and regional security issue.
MK/sf/lb/as/APA