Ethiopia Renaissance Dam Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Eng Mohamed Bahaa Eldin concluded his visit on Thursday after conducting long discussions with his Sudanese counterpart Eng Osama Abdullah, addressing the situation of both countries over the Nile Basin Initiative raised in Kigali by Lake Countries.
Many had demanded the review of the terms of the Old Nile water agreement and treating them as source countries of the River Nile. Sudan and Egypt have objected to the initiative as the propsed initiative will have a negative impact on both nations. Osama Abdullah said “Both sides stressed sincere and constructive cooperation with Nile Basion in addition to the common benefit of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and considering it a base for economic integration between Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt.”
The Egyptian Minister said he was reassured about Sudan’s arrangements to overcome this year’s flood, in addition to studying a number of joint projects between the two countries.
Dr Mohamed Bahaa Eldin’s visit comes in the framework of the continuous consultations between Egypt and Sudan and within the coordination and understandings ahead of the coming extraordinary meeting ot the Ministerial Counsil for the Nile Basin Initiative which is supposed to be held in the Rwandan capital Kigali during the first half of September.
The meeting will discuss the challenges faced by the Initiative in light of the six Nile source countries signing the draft of the framework convention. The former Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and water expert Dr Yacoub Abu Shoura Moussa stated: “Sudan and Egypt can find solutions for the water problems with Nile Basin countries” and excluded in his interview to Arabstoday: “Confrontations due to water issues.”
The researcher for the water sector Sharaf Eldin Hamza Ferry said that: “The water issue has become one of the thorny issues which is witnessing a state of hidden war and disguised struggle sometimes between a stream that includes Sudan and Egypt and another one that includes the Nile Basin Countries.”
Hamza was not allowed to enter Egypt during the reign of former President Mubarak because of his articles about the Egyptian policies regarding the Nile water issue. He told Arabstoday the coordination between the two countries has now become a pressing issue: \"There is progress and improvement in diplomacy about the water issue. Appointing Hesham Kandil as Prime Minister in Egypt when he is one of the experts in water and water politics in the Upper Nile countries will help resolve the differences in views over the water issue.\"
Abdul Malik Naeem stressed in an interview with Arabstoday that: “The whole thing will not be negative for Egypt and the review might be in Egypt’s favour. South Sudan also has the right to enjoy the water within the system of Lake countries (Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Democratic Congo, Sudan, Egypt, South Sudan and Ethiopia).”