Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Tuesday rejected any unilateral actions in the eastern Nile Basin and warned that any party believing Egypt would neglect its water rights was “completely mistaken.”
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Cairo, Al-Sisi said Egypt’s water issue had become part of a pressure campaign to achieve other goals. He stressed that Cairo was fully aware of this and reiterated that Egypt always rejects interfering in the affairs of other states or undermining their stability.
“I want to reassure the Egyptian people, we will never allow the water of 105 million citizens, in addition to 10 million guests in Egypt, to be compromised,” Al-Sisi said.
Museveni’s visit included an official reception, a closed-door meeting between the two leaders, and an expanded session of talks. The two presidents witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding in technical cooperation for water resource management, agriculture and food, investment, mutual visa exemptions for official passport holders, and support for establishing a Ugandan diplomatic institute.
At the press conference, Al-Sisi said he and Museveni had agreed that the optimal approach among Nile Basin countries should be based on achieving mutual benefit and joint action to preserve and develop the vital resource.
He affirmed Egypt’s full support for development efforts in Uganda and other southern Nile Basin countries, stating Egypt’s readiness to contribute to financing the Angololo Dam project between Uganda and Kenya through a mechanism it launched with initial funding of $100m for infrastructure projects in the basin.
A new MoU was also signed on Tuesday for integrated water resource management, valued at $6m over five years, to build on over two decades of cooperation.
Reiterating his warning on water security, Al-Sisi said: “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 and take all measures guaranteed under international law to preserve our people’s existential resources.”
He emphasized that Egypt does not reject development in partner nations but that this development must not affect the volume or share of water reaching Egypt, its sole major water source. He noted that Museveni had pointed out that of the 1,600 billion cubic meters of water that fall annually on the Nile Basin, only about 85 billion cubic meters, or roughly 4%, actually flow into the White and Blue Niles.
“When we ask for this volume of water to reach Egypt and Sudan for their livelihood… does that mean we reject development in the basin countries or their use of available water? No, of course not,” Al-Sisi said. “We are not saying ‘us and them’… we are all together… we live together, grow together, and cooperate together for the prosperity and stability of our countries.”
Ugandan President Museveni said that Egypt’s approach to the Nile River is based on historical rights, while noting that other countries are questioning their share, and called for a solution that meets the needs of all basin states.
Speaking at the joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Museveni revealed he had discussed the idea of a “water link” between Uganda and Alexandria.
He explained that the “total needs of all Nile Basin countries, including electricity, irrigation, and water, must be met to ensure prosperity for all,” adding that formalising these points in agreed-upon documents would reduce the scale of the problem.
Museveni highlighted the strong bilateral ties, noting that Egypt has the advantage of its Mediterranean coast, while Uganda is connected to it via the Nile, making it effectively not a landlocked country in that context.
He praised the “very good” relations between the two countries, noting that President Sisi is providing support to Uganda in food security and vaccinations, including assistance in establishing a vaccine factory.
Museveni also stressed the importance of joint investment in producing and marketing goods and services within both countries, the African continent, and beyond to achieve mutual prosperity.
