Egypt, Sudan warn against Nile dam unilateralism, reaffirm defence pact
November 3, 2026 (CAIRO) – Egypt is prepared to invoke international law and its mutual defence pact with Sudan to protect Sudanese sovereignty, according to a joint statement issued after high-level bilateral talks in Cairo on Monday.
The third round of the “2+2” consultative mechanism brought together the foreign and irrigation ministers of both nations on Monday, November 2, following directives from their prime ministers earlier this year.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam met with their Sudanese counterparts, Mohieldin Salem and Ismat Qurashi, amid ongoing regional friction with Ethiopia over Nile waters and Red Sea security.
Cairo reiterated its commitment to Sudanese national security, warned against creating parallel authorities, and confirmed its readiness to enact measures under the Joint Defence Agreement to ensure red lines are not crossed.
Both nations reaffirmed that their water security is indivisible under the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement, calling for full logistical and technical backing for the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for the Nile Waters.
The ministers criticized Ethiopia’s uncoordinated operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a persistent threat, demanding that Addis Ababa return to consensus-based mechanisms including prior notification and consultation.
The statement stressed that the dam dispute concerns only Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, rejecting efforts to embroil other Nile Basin states while noting enduring ties with the Ethiopian people.
On wider Nile diplomacy, the delegations backed the consultative process on the Cooperative Framework Agreement led by Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan to restore consensus within the Nile Basin Initiative.
Both sides condemned drone strikes on Sudanese power and water installations launched from a neighbouring country, reiterating backing for the Sudanese Armed Forces to secure national and water infrastructure.
Sudan commended an Egyptian initiative assessing war damage to the Jebel Aulia Dam, where Egyptian engineers are conducting maintenance alongside local staff.
Egypt also agreed to conduct urgent training programs for Sudanese irrigation personnel to assist postwar institutional recovery.
Addressing maritime security, both governments declared Red Sea governance the exclusive preserve of coastal states, rejecting non-littoral access that jeopardizes port safety or militarizes the corridor.