Egypt Holds Onto Legally Binding Agreement on GERD

 The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation during his meeting with journalists and media professionals in Cairo. (Egyptian government)
The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation during his meeting with journalists and media professionals in Cairo. (Egyptian government)
TT

Egypt Holds Onto Legally Binding Agreement on GERD

 The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation during his meeting with journalists and media professionals in Cairo. (Egyptian government)
The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation during his meeting with journalists and media professionals in Cairo. (Egyptian government)

Egypt has reaffirmed its unwavering stance in seeking a legally binding agreement on the rules of filling and operating the mega dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile River.

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty said talks between Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) are currently stalled due to Ethiopia’s intransigence.

He stressed that the GERD issue concerns the Egyptian state and its various institutions.

Last week, Addis Ababa started its “limited” operation of 13 turbines of the GERD, as a first stage for electricity production.

But Cairo denounced the start-up, saying Addis Ababa was “persisting in its violations” of a 2015 Declaration of Principles, which prohibits any of the parties from taking unilateral actions in the use of the river’s water.

Cairo and Khartoum have repeatedly emphasized their rejection of all unilateral measures with regard to filling and operation of the GERD before reaching a legally binding agreement in a way that achieves the three countries’ common interests.

Since 2011, the African Union-sponsored multiple rounds of talks between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum over the dam’s operation and filling have faltered.

The two downstream nations had also pushed for an agreement on the filling of the dam's reservoir, but Ethiopia went ahead without one in 2020.

Addis Ababa regards the dam project -- which will be Africa's largest when complete -- as essential to the development of Africa's second most populous country.

Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees the dam as an existential threat.

Sudan hopes the project will regulate annual flooding, but fears its own dams will be harmed without agreement on its operation.

Abdel Aty hosted an open dialogue session on Saturday with Karam Gabr, the head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), senior journalists, media professionals and SCMR members.

Discussions tackled the optimal management of water resources in Egypt in light of the current water challenges.

Egypt has embarked on implementing a strategy to manage and meet water demand until 2037, with investments nearing $50 million.

The program includes building seawater desalination plants and wastewater recycling plants with triple treatment.

Abdel Aty said the comprehensive development process of the water network aims to rationalize water use, rehabilitate canals and ensure sustainable development for agricultural projects.



Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
TT

Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.