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Egypt Denies Excluding Sudan from Dam Talks

Men fish from boats during low tide on the river Nile in Cairo, Egypt, November 19, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Men fish from boats during low tide on the river Nile in Cairo, Egypt, November 19, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
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Egypt Denies Excluding Sudan from Dam Talks

Men fish from boats during low tide on the river Nile in Cairo, Egypt, November 19, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Men fish from boats during low tide on the river Nile in Cairo, Egypt, November 19, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry denied on Wednesday reports that Egypt had asked to exclude Sudan from the tripartite negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia is building along the Nile River.

Cairo says the dam threatens its historic share of fresh water.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid denied the claims circulating on Ethiopian news media that Egypt requested the exclusion of Sudan from negotiations.

“This news is totally false and unfounded” Abu Zeid stressed according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry website on Facebook.

“On the contrary, the proposal made by Egypt to request the participation of the World Bank as a neutral party in the negotiations of the Tripartite Technical Committee, submitted by Egypt to the Sudanese government --Egypt is waiting for the response of both Ethiopia and Sudan to the proposal, “he added.

The spokesman warned against media circulating false news.

Cairo fears that the construction of the huge Ethiopian renaissance dam will reduce the flow of Nile water, which supplies about 90 percent of Egypt's needs.

In March 2015, the leaders of the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding obliging them to reach consensus through cooperation.

The $5 billion dam, built on the Blue Nile, is expected to become Africa's largest power-generating dam.

The Blue Nile, the largest part of its water in Ethiopia, meets the White Nile in Khartoum to form the Nile that crosses Sudan and Egypt before it flows into the Mediterranean.

In a statement last week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed the importance of continued communication between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on the dam after proposing the participation of experts from the World Bank to resolve the dispute.

During Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s December 26 visit to Ethiopia, Egypt submitted a proposal requesting introducing the World Bank as a neutral mediator in negotiations.

The proposal was conveyed in a letter from Sisi to Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Meriam Desaline, and Egypt awaits the response of both Addis Ababa and Khartoum on the proposal, according to an Abu Zeid press statement on Wednesday.

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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.