Egypt and Sudan reject unilateral management of Ethiopian dam
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily News Egypt
Egypt and Sudan have again rejected Ethiopia’s unilateral management of its dam on the Blue Nile and reaffirmed their rights under the 1959 agreement. Meeting in Cairo, their ministers called on Ethiopia to resume negotiations within a binding legal framework, according to a joint statement.
Egypt and Sudan on Monday 2 November 2026 reaffirmed their opposition to Ethiopia’s unilateral management of its dam on the Blue Nile, saying that without a binding legal framework it threatens the water security of both countries. The position was set out in a joint statement issued after the third meeting of the “2+2” consultation mechanism, bringing together their foreign and irrigation ministers in Cairo, according to Daily News Egypt.
The two countries asserted their water-use rights under the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement and called on Addis Ababa to resume discussions in line with international law, including the obligation to avoid significant harm, prior notification and the pursuit of an agreement. They also said the dispute concerns the three countries of the Eastern Nile Basin — Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia — and rejected the involvement of other riparian states.
Cairo and Khartoum decided to support their Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters and provide it with technical and logistical resources. They also called for the Nile Basin Initiative to be preserved as a platform for cooperation and supported continued consultations on the Cooperative Framework Agreement.
The meeting comes after Cairo said it had exhausted negotiations over the Ethiopian dam on 22 October. Egypt also reaffirmed its support for Sudan’s unity and its rejection of the creation or recognition of parallel governing entities.
