Egypt, Sudan sign water deal to repair war-damaged infrastructure
Egypt and Sudan signed a water cooperation deal on Monday to rehabilitate war-damaged infrastructure and projects and expand access to drinking water, as the two countries seek to support Sudan’s recovery and reconstruction.
The memorandum of understanding includes work on the Jebel Aulia Dam, flood-protection measures, rainwater harvesting, and solar-powered groundwater stations, Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said in a statement. It also covers efforts to combat aquatic weeds.
Egyptian Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam and Sudanese Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Ismat Qureshi signed the agreement in Cairo on the sidelines of a meeting of the two countries’ foreign and irrigation ministers under the 2+2 mechanism. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty and his Sudanese counterpart Mohieldin Salem attended the signing.
An Egyptian technical committee has already conducted a field inspection of the Jebel Aulia Dam in preparation for rehabilitation works, the ministry said.
The projects will be implemented under Egypt’s Nile Basin Countries Development Initiative and are intended to address Sudan’s needs, supporting its recovery and reconstruction efforts.
“The signing of the memorandum is a practical expression of Egypt’s commitment to supporting its brotherly Sudan and marks a new step in the water partnership between the two countries,” Sewilam said.
“The projects respond to Sudan’s actual needs, contribute to reconstruction efforts and help improve services for its citizens,”
Qureshi said the projects would address local communities’ needs and support Sudan’s recovery. He also praised longstanding cooperation through the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters.
The memorandum follows a meeting of the Egypt-Sudan Higher Coordination Committee on Water Affairs, chaired by the two countries’ prime ministers in Cairo last February.
It is also based on the 1959 Agreement for the Full Utilisation of the Nile Waters, which established the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters as the institutional framework for water cooperation between the two countries.
The initiative is overseen by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development at Egypt’s Foreign Ministry.
The agreement also provides for training, capacity-building, and the exchange of expertise in water resources, drinking water, and sanitation. The programmes will be delivered to Sudanese technical personnel in both Egypt and Sudan, aiming to ensure the sustainability of the projects and strengthen Sudanese institutions’ ability to operate and manage them.