Egypt’s Sisi, Rwanda’s Kagame press for African unity amid Gaza war, Nile tensions
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame used their meeting in Cairo on Tuesday to call for greater African coordination in confronting regional conflicts. The two leaders discussed the war in Gaza, the Sudanese crisis, security in the Great Lakes region, and the future of Nile water sharing.
Sisi praised Rwanda’s rapid economic progress while voicing strong support for Kigali’s stability and development. But the Egyptian leader devoted much of his remarks to the growing pressures on Africa’s security order — from violence in the Horn of Africa to competition over Nile resources.
“Water is an existential issue for Egypt,” Sisi said, warning that his country would not tolerate any encroachment on its share of the Nile, which provides nearly all of Egypt’s fresh water. He pledged to continue close coordination with Rwanda and other African states through the African Union on issues of security, stability, and post-conflict recovery.
The talks also touched on the war in Gaza, where Egypt has sought to broker a ceasefire while pressing Israel to allow in more humanitarian aid. Sisi reiterated Cairo’s opposition to the displacement of Palestinians into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, saying the only path to peace was the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4th, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Kagame praised Egypt’s role in regional diplomacy and said Rwanda was eager to deepen consultation with Cairo on both African and Middle Eastern crises.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English