Sisi, Burhan agree to intensify coordination to protect joint water rights

CAIRO – 15 October 2025: The Egyptian and Sudanese leaders have discussed developments regarding the Nile water issue, reiterating their firm rejection of any unilateral actions on the Blue Nile that contravene international law.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan met in Cairo on Wednesday, discussing the Sudanese crisis as well as the water file.

The two leaders emphasized the shared position of Egypt and Sudan concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi receives Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Cairo, 15 October 2025 - Egyptian Presidency

They agreed to strengthen and intensify consultation and coordination mechanisms to safeguard their joint water rights.

The meeting was attended by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Head of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) Hassan Rashad. From Sudan, Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem, General Intelligence Director Ahmed Mufaddal, and Ambassador to Cairo Imad Eldin Adawi.

Their discussion comes in the wake of a severe and delayed rise in Nile water levels in Egypt and Sudan recently. Cairo accuses Addis Ababa of causing this rise due to the “reckless” management of GERD.

Early in October, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources blamed Ethiopia for creating a “man-made flood” through the sudden, uncoordinated release of water from its dam, which Addis Ababa manages unilaterally.

The ministry said the artificial flood inundated farmland and villages in Sudan and “placed the lives and resources of the populations of the two downstream countries at risk.”

Egypt and Sudan have long criticized Ethiopia’s filling and operation of the mega dam, which is capable of holding back up to 74 billion cubic meters of water, without a legally binding agreement to guarantee the water rights of downstream nations and protect their populations during floods and periods of drought.

'Egypt Will Not Stand Idly by'

In his opening speech at the 8th edition of Cairo Water Week on Sunday, President Sisi stressed that “Egypt will not stand idly by in the face of Ethiopia's irresponsible approach and will take all necessary measures to protect its interests and water security.”

Sisi accused Ethiopia of causing damage to Egypt and Sudan through irregular dam flows released without notification or coordination, emphasizing that a legally binding agreement on dam regulation remains the only way to balance the development needs of upstream countries while avoiding harm to downstream nations.