Egypt agrees to South Sudan dam while warning Ethiopia over Nile water

Egypt has announced its agreement to South Sudan’s planned Fula dam project. Egyptian Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam stated that the project was among 36 submitted under the Nile Basin Initiative and that Egypt reviewed the relevant studies, concluding that the potential effects on water flow can be tolerated.

This agreement follows comments from South Sudan’s Energy and Dams Minister Agok Makur, who asserted that South Sudan has the sovereign right to develop dams on the Nile. Sewilam clarified that Egypt does not oppose the Fula project, distinguishing it from Cairo’s stance on Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

In a separate context regarding regional water security, Minister Sewilam warned Ethiopia that Egypt will not allow any nation to control the Nile, which he described as the “key to life” for its population. Egypt has accused Addis Ababa of blocking dialogue for the equitable sharing of the river and noted that Ethiopia is the only Nile Basin country refusing to review the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) to reopen negotiations.