The Nile Conflict Returns: Egypt and Sudan Activate the 1959 Agreement

Egypt and Sudan announced the activation of the joint committees arising from the 1959 agreement regarding the regulation of the use of Nile River waters, in a move that reflects the depth of cooperation between the two countries to face common challenges, foremost of which is the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis.

This comes during a joint press conference held by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Sudanese counterpart Kamal Al-Tayeb Idris, who is visiting Cairo on his first foreign trip since taking office last May.


Madbouly stated that "Egypt and Sudan are like one body," praising the historical relations between the two countries and the support that Egypt has provided to Sudanese fleeing the ravages of war. He added that the two countries "reject the Ethiopian unilateral approach in dealing with the Blue Nile, which contradicts the principles of international law and the spirit of regional cooperation."

Both sides emphasized the importance of close coordination between them on the Nile water file, through the permanent joint technical authority for Nile waters, the body responsible for studying and formulating the unified position of both Egypt and Sudan on water-related issues, as stipulated in the 1959 agreement.

The two countries also agreed on the necessity of providing sufficient opportunity for the consultative mechanism within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative, with the aim of settling disputes and enhancing cooperation among the basin countries, ensuring the sustainability of water resources and common interests, especially for the downstream countries.