Egypt will never allow Nile water to be touched: El-Sisi to Uganda president
Ahram Online
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsConten ... ed-El.aspx
Tuesday 12 Aug 2025
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Tuesday that Egypt will never allow its share of Nile water, which sustains 105 million Egyptians and about 10 million guests, to be touched.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi speaks during a joint press conference with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Cairo Egypt. Al-Ahram.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Cairo with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, El-Sisi underlined Egypt’s complete rejection of unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile Basin, which Cairo has sought to keep as a source of cooperation, not conflict.
El-Sisi warned.Anyone who imagines that Egypt will turn a blind eye to an existential threat to its water security is mistaken… We will continue to monitor the situation and take all measures provided for under international law to safeguard our people’s existential resources,
El-Sisi’s remarks were referring to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Cairo fears will drastically reduce its share of Nile waters.
Egypt has previously described the Ethiopian measures on the GERD as a clear violation of international law, https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/549132.aspx particularly the rules related to the fair and equitable use of international waterways and the prohibition of causing harm to neighbouring countries.
A decade of negotiations between the downstream nations and Ethiopia has failed to produce an agreement https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/532000.aspx balancing water security for downstream nations with Ethiopia's development targets.
In December 2023, Cairo announced the end of the GERD negotiation track due to Ethiopia's persistent rejection of any proposed technical or legal solutions.
In July, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources Hani Sewilam expressed the country’s firm rejection of Ethiopia’s repeated unilateral measures after Addis Ababa announced the completion of its multi-billion-dollar mega-dam, with plans for official inauguration in September.
Between 2020 and 2024, Ethiopia unilaterally completed the dam’s five-stage filling and began operating two turbines, without an agreement with its downstream nations, Egypt and Sudan.
Nile Basin countries' development
During the press conference, El-Sisi said that
Quoting Museveni, El-Sisi said:We agreed that water is very important, and that development is also important. Our position has been clear from the start — we have never rejected the development of our partners and brothers in the Nile Basin countries. We have no problem with that, as long as such development does not affect the amount or share of water reaching Egypt.
President Museveni pointed out that the water falling on the basin — whether the Blue Nile or White Nile — amounts to 1,600 billion cubic metres annually. This water is divided between forests and swamps, agricultural use, evaporation, groundwater recharge, and only a small portion — about 85 billion cubic meters, roughly 4 percent of the total — reaches the White and Blue Nile.
El-Sisi asserted.When we demand that this amount reach Egypt and Sudan for livelihood — as we have no other source — does that mean we are rejecting development in the basin countries or their use of water for agriculture or electricity production? Of course not,
El-Sisi recalled Museveni telling him that in Uganda, Egypt meansWe have never talked about a fair distribution of all 1,600 billion cubic metres; we are talking only about the remaining, which doesn’t exceed 4–5 percent… We do not say ‘us and them’ — we are all together, living, growing, and cooperating for the prosperity and stability of our countries.
the garden.
he said.This garden has no other water source than the Nile—we have no rain,
Egypt’s annual water needs exceed 90 billion cubic metres, https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/548898.aspx while its Nile share stands at just 55.5 billion. Per capita water availability is under 500 cubic meters per year—well below the United Nations’ (UN) water poverty threshold of 1,000, according to recent remarks by Egypt's foreign minister.No one can imagine that Egypt would abandon it. Giving up any part of it would mean giving up our life—and that will never happen.
El-Sisi expressed hope that the seven-nation committee led by Uganda would reach a consensus to ensure the benefit of all basin countries.
This committee is part of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and engages with countries that have not yet ratified the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), also known as the
Entebbe Agreement.
He warned that Egypt faces “significant pressures” over this issue.Those who have rain will never feel what it is like for those who do not. The Egyptian people are extremely cautious and concerned about water, and I am responsible, along with my brothers and wise leaders like President Museveni, to find a solution that never harms the lives of Egyptians.
Water may be part of a campaign to achieve other objectives, El-Sisi said, adding that
we are fully aware of this.
We have always been against interfering in others’ affairs, against conspiring against others, and against destruction. We are for building, cooperation, and development, as our African countries have suffered enough from years of conflict and fighting.
El-Sisi concluded.Once again, I reassure Egyptians that we will never allow the waters that sustain 105 million Egyptians and about 10 million guests to be touched. We do not call them refugees,
Safeguarding Nile Basin countries
During the presser, President El-Sisi said he agreed with President Museveni that the Nile Basin countries must work together to preserve and develop this vital resource, achieve mutual benefit, and avoid harming any country per the rules of international law.
He stated that, according to President Museveni,
without preserving the Nile Basin environment, we will find nothing to share.
President El-Sisi continued.I assured President Museveni of our full support for development efforts in Uganda and other South Nile Basin countries and our readiness to finance the Angololo Dam project between Uganda and Kenya through Egypt's investment in the Nile Basin infrastructure projects, with an initial funding of $100 million,
The president also expressed his pleasure upon the signing of a new memorandum of understanding in the field of integrated water resources management, building on more than 20 years of cooperation between the two countries to preserve the Nile River environment and develop its resources. The total value of the agreement is $6 million over five years.
he stressed.This affirms our commitment to supporting development in Uganda and other brotherly Nile Basin countries,
El-Sisi also expressed Egypt’s confidence in the constructive role Uganda is playing in leading the consultative process within the Nile Basin Initiative https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsConten ... nitia.aspx to restore inclusivity and consensus among basin countries to achieve mutual benefit.
Egypt-Uganda cooperation
The two presidents held a closed meeting on Tuesday, followed by an expanded session of talks attended by delegations from both countries.
During the discussions, both sides explored ways to strengthen the historic bilateral relations between Egypt and Uganda, particularly in political, commercial, and investment fields, to serve the shared interests of the two brotherly peoples.
The two presidents witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding for technical cooperation in water resources management, agricultural and food cooperation, investment, mutual visa exemptions for holders of official passports, and diplomatic cooperation to support the establishment of an Ugandan diplomatic institute.
President El-Sisi said.The Egyptian-Ugandan bilateral relations have recently witnessed remarkable development, reflecting the close ties and interests between the two countries,
Moreover, El-Sisi said they discussed ways to activate economic cooperation and increase trade volumes between the two countries.
he added.We agreed to expedite procedures for forming a joint business council and encourage visits between business communities to contribute to mutual interests. Thus, a joint business forum will be held on the sidelines of the visit to explore available investment opportunities and begin taking practical steps,
The two presidents also expressed interest in advancing cooperation opportunities in training, capacity building, combating animal diseases, and the energy sector.
Additionally, they agreed to continue cooperation in the security domain, especially after the recent visit of the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces commander to Egypt and the agreement to hold annual military cooperation committee meetings.
