Egypt seeks to renew cooperation with Sudan

Egypt and Sudan discussed the Nile River and cooperation during a visit to Cairo by Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil al-Taib Idris on Thursday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi received the visiting Sudan official, who spoke on Thursday at a joint briefing with Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly.

Madbouly expressed "complete rejection of the unilateral steps that Ethiopia is taking with regards to the Nile River.

Egypt said last month that Ethiopia has consistently lacked the political will to reach a binding agreement on its now-complete dam, an issue that involves Nile River water rights and the interests of Egypt and Sudan.

Egypt has long opposed the construction of the dam, because it would reduce the country’s share of Nile River waters, a key source for most of Egypt's agriculture and its more than 100 million people.

Speaking in his first visit abroad since taking office, Idris said "there is agreement" and "consensus" on the matters that were brought up in the discussions.

Sudan has been in the throes of civil war since April 2023.

The battle for power between the military and the RSF has caused a humanitarian crisis.

Over 40,000 people have been killed and the war has caused one of the world’s largest displacement emergency.

Khartoum was largely destroyed, including the presidential palace and the airport, but is experiencing a slow rebirth as residents return and markets reopen. Electricity and basic services are not fully operational around the city.

Egypt hosts the largest number of Sudanese refugees from the war with over 1.5 million people who fled north across the border.

Over 7 million have been displaced internally as the war engulfed much of the country.