During a mission of Nile Basin Water Ministers in Bujumbura, Burundi, the Egyptian Minister of Irrigation urged riparian states to strengthen cooperation and denounced the “provocative statements” of an unnamed country, accused of undermining the basin’s unity.
Egypt on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to the Nile Basin cooperation framework while criticising the behaviour of an unidentified country accused of spreading “hostile rhetoric” contrary to the principles of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).
Speaking at the 33rd Ministerial Meeting held in Bujumbura, Burundi, the Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources stressed that the region’s water challenges “cannot be met through unilateral measures” but only through “genuine cooperation based on the sustainable management of shared resources,” according to an official statement.
The minister recalled that the Nile Basin Initiative, launched in 1999 and gathering ten countries, constitutes an essential platform for promoting confidence, inclusivity, and mutual benefits.
He welcomed the Ministerial Council’s decision in November 2024 to organise a consultative process to review the concerns of the four states that have not yet joined or ratified the framework agreement. In his view, these consultations represent “a real opportunity to restore and strengthen trust among the basin countries” and allow Egypt to fully resume its place in the initiative.
In this context, Egypt cautioned against any external steps likely to deepen divisions. The minister called on development partners and international organisations to technically and financially support the ongoing consultation process, “while refraining from endorsing approaches that could weaken the basin’s unity.”
He insisted on the crucial role these institutions can play in preserving a common vision based on transparency and adherence to international law, particularly the principle of “do no significant harm.”
The minister regretted that “one country in particular” persists, in his opinion, in promoting provocative rhetoric aimed at harming regional cohesion. He indicated that Egypt would continue to exercise “restraint and responsibility” by refraining from responding to these statements in a multilateral framework to avoid politicising the Nile Basin Initiative.
Egypt affirmed its support for the development aspirations of riparian states, provided that water projects are subject to transparent impact studies, such as those that validated 36 preliminary projects in the equatorial lakes region, in compliance with regional consensus.
The minister also highlighted Egypt’s efforts in water cooperation over the past years, with several projects carried out in Uganda and Tanzania.
He asserted that the Egyptian presidency of the African Water Facility for the 2025-2027 period will allow the acceleration of the implementation of seven water supply and sanitation projects included in the Nile Basin investment program, thanks to joint mobilisation of international financing. These initiatives, according to Egypt, must contribute to a “sustainable and prosperous” future for all peoples of the basin.
MK/ak/lb/as/APA