Egypt, EU Bolster Cooperation in Water Management, Agriculture

Egypt's Ambassador to the European Union Badr Abdel-Atti held talks with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egypt's Ambassador to the European Union Badr Abdel-Atti held talks with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, EU Bolster Cooperation in Water Management, Agriculture

Egypt's Ambassador to the European Union Badr Abdel-Atti held talks with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egypt's Ambassador to the European Union Badr Abdel-Atti held talks with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt and the European Union announced on Friday strengthening their cooperation in the field of water management and agriculture, according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Egypt's Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Badr Abdel-Atti discussed the issue with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, the statement said.

It added that the meeting comes as Cairo pays great attention to the two sectors to tackle the current challenges related to food security and achieving sustainable development for agricultural development projects.

During his meeting with the EU official, Abdel-Atti affirmed his country’s interest in cooperating with the EU in providing training and capacity building programs for young farmers in rural areas, as well as cooperating in agricultural ventures, developing agricultural technology, and exchanging technical expertise to develop agricultural systems.

The officials also tackled the repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis on food security in Egypt and Africa, in light of the low quantities supplied of food products, including wheat, and the rising prices.

For his part, the European Commissioner expressed his aspiration to visit Egypt to attend the upcoming UN climate change conference, COP27, scheduled in November in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Early this month, Cairo reiterated its demand that Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan reach a legally-binding agreement to fill and operate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The dispute was sparked in 2011 when Addis Ababa began constructing the mega-dam on the Blue Nile.

Meanwhile, Cairo is moving to activate an electronic system to confront and remove illegal encroachments on the Nile amid the ongoing GERD crisis.

Addis Ababa intends to start the third filling of the dam’s reservoir.

Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty said on Friday that the data required to activate the electronic system for managing the Egyptian state’s property is being compiled and prepared, to develop the most appropriate ways to maximize water resources.



Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, issued on Saturday strict orders to his forces to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid in line with the commitments his delegation made at the recent peace talks in Geneva.

In a post on the X platform, he said he issued an “extraordinary administrative order to all the forces” to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

He called on all commanders to abide by the orders in line with international humanitarian law. Any violators will be held accountable.

The RSF has been accused of widespread violations against civilians in areas under their control. They have also been accused of committing massacres in Gezira state in central Sudan. The RSF have denied the accusations.

Hemedti announced in August the formation of a “civilian protection force” that immediately assumed its duties in the Khartoum and Gezira states.

According to head of the RSF delegation to the Geneva talks, Omar Hamdan, the force is formed of 27 combat vehicles, backed by forces that have experience in cracking down on insubordination.

Hemedti stressed last week his commitment to all the outcomes of the Geneva talks, starting with ensuring the delivery of aid to those in need.

The RSF and army agreed to open two safe routes for the deliveries and to protect civilians to ease their suffering after nearly a year and a half of war.

The mediators in Geneva received commitments from the RSF that it would order the fighters against committing any violations against civilians in areas under their control.

Meanwhile, aid deliveries continued through the Adre border crossing with Chad. They are headed to people in Darfur in western Sudan.

Fifty-nine aid trucks carrying aid supplies crossed from Chad to Darfur, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Saturday.

“The supplies are estimated to reach nearly 195,000 people in acute need in different parts of the country,” it added.

“About 128 aid trucks carrying supplies for an estimated 355,000 people are being prepared to cross into Sudan in the coming days and weeks to ensure a steady flow of supplies. Despite the surge of supplies through Adre, humanitarian partners have warned that ongoing rains and floods have damaged three major bridges in the region, limiting movements within Darfur,” it revealed.

“While progress has been made on the Adre border crossing, funding resources are depleting, and humanitarian funding is urgently required to sustain the supplies chain,” it urged.