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Egypt, Ethiopia Agree to Resume Nahdha Dam Negotiations Within Two Weeks

Egypt, Ethiopia Agree to Resume Nahdha Dam Negotiations Within Two Weeks
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Egypt, Ethiopia Agree to Resume Nahdha Dam Negotiations Within Two Weeks

Egypt, Ethiopia Agree to Resume Nahdha Dam Negotiations Within Two Weeks

Egypt and Ethiopia have agreed to resume negotiations over the Nahda Dam within the next two weeks, hoping to reach consensus on points of contention in an introductory report presented by a French advisory office.

The report focuses on the effects of the Ethiopian dam on the river’s streams (Egypt and Sudan).

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said he and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, agreed “to start bilateral discussions in the next two weeks to reach consensus on unsettled points.”

Ethiopia has been building the dam on one of the main reaches of the Nile to supply its territories with electricity.

Egypt fears the dam will restrict the waters coming down from Ethiopia's highlands, through the deserts of Sudan, to its fields and reservoirs.

Ethiopia, which wants to become Africa's biggest power exporter, says it will have no such impact.

Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have been carrying out a series of technical and political negotiations for years, but they have failed to find a decisive consensus so far.

Madbouly met on Sunday with Ahmed on the sidelines of the 11th African Union Extraordinary Summit in Addis Ababa.

He conveyed a message from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on means of developing bilateral relations to the level of integrated partnership and activating mechanisms to achieve this, according to a statement by the Egyptian Cabinet.

During his participation in the meetings on behalf of Sisi, Madbouly said he agreed with his Ethiopian counterpart on establishing a trilateral Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian fund via a meeting among the governors of the central banks of the three countries to finalize the agreement.

He noted his country's readiness to exchange expertise in the field of constructing new cities and roads in Ethiopia in light of the development plan adopted by Addis Ababa.

Abiy, for his part, stressed his personal concern with preserving the rights of Egypt and all the African countries associated with the Nile River, noting that both sides agreed during their meeting to start bilateral negotiations within the next two weeks to reach an agreement.

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Arab World

London to Host International Conference in Mid-April on ‘Peace and Civilian Protection’ in Sudan

A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
TT
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London to Host International Conference in Mid-April on ‘Peace and Civilian Protection’ in Sudan

A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)
A photo taken in January 2024 shows women and children at the Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan (Reuters)

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yusuf described the visit of a British diplomatic delegation to the administrative capital, Port Sudan, as “highly significant,” stating that it aimed to consult with the Sudanese government regarding London’s plans to hold an international conference on Sudan in mid-April.

The conference, set to coincide with the second anniversary of the conflict, seeks to coordinate efforts between the two foreign ministries.

In an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday, Yusuf clarified that the conference will focus solely on humanitarian issues, civilian protection, and peace, with no other objectives.

He added: “The British delegation’s visit is to brief the Sudanese government on the conference’s goals and the invited parties.”

The Sudanese minister welcomed the British initiative as a “positive step,” following a key meeting with British officials in Munich, where bilateral relations and diplomatic engagement between Sudan and the UK were discussed to prevent escalations in international forums. “So far, discussions are progressing well,” he stated.

Yusuf confirmed that communication and meetings between Port Sudan and London are ongoing, saying: “The Sudanese ambassador in London arranged a meeting for me with the British Minister of State for African Affairs, which was highly constructive.”

On Tuesday, Port Sudan received a British diplomatic delegation that included Harriet Matthews, Director General for Africa, the Americas, and the Overseas Territories at the UK Foreign Office; Richard Crowder, the UK Special Envoy to Sudan; Mark Taylor, a political advisor at the British Embassy in Cairo; and the head of the UK Office for Sudan Affairs.

In its first meetings with Sudanese officials, the delegation met with the Governor of Darfur, Minni Arko Minnawi, to discuss the worsening humanitarian conditions for displaced people, particularly in Darfur’s camps.

Minnawi informed the delegation that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to block roads and prevent aid convoys from reaching those in need. He also criticized the international community’s stance on the situation in Darfur and urged Britain to take a more active role in addressing the crisis affecting the region’s population.

The British delegation is also expected to address Sudan’s accusations against the UK, alleging that it has “abandoned its moral and political responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, supported war financiers in Sudan, and held secret meetings with RSF leaders—making it complicit in the atrocities being committed.”

In November 2024, Britain, alongside Sierra Leone, submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council aimed at strengthening measures to protect civilians in Sudan. The resolution urged both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF to uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration on humanitarian principles. However, Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing that it undermined Sudan’s sovereignty.

In December, Sudanese Deputy Sovereign Council Chairman Malik Agar informed the British envoy of his government’s objections to the UK’s stance on the war, stating that Sudan “is dissatisfied with Britain’s negative and unsupportive position toward the Sudanese people.”