Dr. Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, affirmed that Egyptian-Sudanese relations are very good with high-level coordination on the Nile waters file, which is considered a single national security issue.

Sewilam emphasized in a press conference that there is coordination between the two countries at the highest level, and that Sudan is a sovereign state with its own interests. However, in some issues like the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Egypt and Sudan, as downstream countries, share common interests.

He explained that Sudan is more concerned with security, while he is more concerned with water usage and the lives of Egyptians, noting that security is also very important but not the top priority due to distance.

Regarding rumors about a bilateral agreement between Sudan and Ethiopia on the Renaissance Dam, Sewilam said Sudan has gone through many phases in its history, sometimes aligning with Egypt’s positions and sometimes not. He added, “If this agreement exists, it is a secret agreement,” questioning, “Has Sudan been granted its rights?”

He concluded, “I neither confirm nor deny the existence of the agreement, but the question is for those who signed it, if it was signed, and who will be held accountable.”