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Egypt Mobilizes Support of Nile Basin Countries to Defend its Water Security

The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Swailem, at the Julius Nyerere dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation)
The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Swailem, at the Julius Nyerere dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation)
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Egypt Mobilizes Support of Nile Basin Countries to Defend its Water Security

The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Swailem, at the Julius Nyerere dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation)
The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Swailem, at the Julius Nyerere dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation)

The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Swailem, began Tuesday a two-day visit to Burundi, the second leg of his foreign tour to the Nile Basin countries.

Swailem will hold talks with the Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock in Burundi, Sanctus Niragira, to enhance cooperation in water resources and irrigation between the two countries, according to an official statement.

The Egyptian minister's tour of the Nile Basin countries, which began two days ago with a visit to Tanzania, comes amid Ethiopian preparations for a fourth filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir, which raises tensions with Egypt and Sudan.

He also visited Sudan and South Sudan a few weeks ago and discussed the Iranian monitoring of the Nile.

The Egyptian minister stressed the need for the Nile River to be a source of cooperation and peace and not a reason for competition and disagreement. He said that Egypt believes that pursuing development is a legitimate right for any country, provided that it is not harming any other state.

He stressed his country's role in supporting cooperation between the basin countries by creating common interests and achieving mutual benefit for all.

Cooperation between Egypt and Tanzania extended for many years, during which projects were implemented to drill groundwater wells to serve communities that suffer from water scarcity.

Egypt fears that its share of the waters of the Nile will be affected by the GERD that Ethiopia has been building since 2011 on the main tributary of the river.

Cairo is calling for a binding legal agreement that regulates the filling and operation of the dam, while Ethiopia is pushing for the construction of the hydroelectric dam, claiming its right to development by exploiting its water resources.

Professor of water resources and geology at Cairo University, Abbas Sharaki, believed Ethiopia has begun preparing the middle corridor of the Renaissance Dam ahead of the fourth filling.

Sharaki explained on his Facebook page that satellite images showed a slight change in the middle corridor during the past few days in light of preparations for a new concrete layer.

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Arab World

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.