Egypt’s President Al Fattah Al Sissi to visit Burundi
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol V, Issue #187 | Tuesday, August 18, 2021
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Dear RegionWeek Readers,
The announcement was made by Mr. Yasser El-Atawi, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Burundi at Ntare House when he was received by President Evariste Ndayishimiye this Wednesday. He carried a message of fraternal greetings from Egyptian President Al Fattah Al Sissi to his Burundian counterpart. Amb. Yasser El-Atawi said that President Al Sisi wishes to pay a visit to Burundi at a time to be agreed through the appropriate diplomatic channels.
In their discussion, they reviewed the implementation of the cooperation agreements concluded during the State visit of President Evariste Ndayishimiye to Cairo in March 2021. Egypt and Burundi have signed multidimensional agreements and among which the military and medical cooperation have already been concretized by visits by official delegations and the delivery to Burundi of medical equipment.
Other agreements are about investment, technology transfer, tourism, projects on Lake Tanganyika, and support from Egypt in the infrastructure sector.
Egypt is keen to train Burundian cadres in all fields to provide them with the necessary expertise that they will transfer to Burundi to push development efforts forward and increase investment.
Among African countries, Burundi has the largest number of participants in training courses held by Cairo. Also, Egyptian investors and experts support Burundi in many fields such as energy, agriculture, and water
Why it matters
Strengthening relations with Burundi is one of Egypt’s foreign policy priorities. Burundi is an important country for Egypt not only because of the African geographic connection but also because it is one of the Nile Basin countries. Building stronger ties aim to preserve Cairo’s interests, protect its water security, and shrink the presence of any forces opposing Egyptian national security.
Tariq Fahmy, professor of political science with Cairo University, explains that Egypt's rapprochement with the Nile Basin region would not only preserve the water rights of Egypt but also achieve regional security and stability.
"Egypt has been pursuing a cooperation-led strategy with the Nile Basin countries, mainly the 'ring countries' around Ethiopia to protect its water, which helped in changing the policies of some African countries towards Egypt," the political analyst said.
Egypt wants to win Burundi to its side on the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Egyptian water security.
During President Evariste’s Egypt visit in March, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed Egypt’s adherence to its water rights and the need to reach a legal agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
He called for reaching a legal agreement that includes clear rules for the process of filling and operation of the dam. During their negotiations, Sisi and Ndayishimiye agreed on the need to intensify coordination during the coming period on the sensitive and vital GERD issue.
Egypt vs Ethiopia conflict
Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam on the river Nile in Guba Woreda is at the core of a conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia. Egypt is objecting to efforts by Ethiopia to start operating a $4.8 billion dam on a major tributary of the Nile, a hydroelectric project that it hopes will power a social and economic transformation.
The project is regarded by Egypt as a threat that could cut off nearly all of the key sources of water for the country’s rapidly growing population. The country has exerted outsize control over access to the Nile since colonial times. Egypt has accused Ethiopia of violating international law after it received a notice saying that Ethiopia's dam upstream on the Nile is now filling up with water for a second year.
Tensions and disputes over the Nile River’s water have been ongoing for decades. The relationships among the Nile Basin’s ten countries are governed by a set of treaties and agreements signed during the 20th century (in 1902, 1929, and 1959) and are commonly known as the Nile River Agreements.
Not only have these treaties guaranteed Egypt’s share of the Nile water over the past century and enabled it to achieve its developmental and agricultural plans—particularly after building the Aswan High Dam in the early 1960s—but they also gave Cairo and Khartoum veto power over any construction plans or projects that might affect their share of the water.
According to BBC Once fully operational, the Gerd is expected to supply 65 million Ethiopians with electricity. The authorities say it will transform people's lives and the country's development. In a letter to the Security Council, Ethiopia's foreign ministry expressed its irritation about some of the diplomatic moves around the dam. It accused the Arab League, which appears to be backing Egypt and Sudan, of meddling. Ethiopia says that it is an issue for the African Union and not the Arab League.
In 2011, a crisis erupted in political and diplomatic circles when Burundi signed the Entebbe framework agreement, an agreement that meant stripping Egypt of many of its privileges in the waters of the river, most notably the right of veto to prevent the establishment of any project on the river outside its lands. But following lobbying by Egypt, the Entebbe framework agreement has not been officially ratified by the Burundian parliament so far.
Thanks for reading
Fabrice Iranzi, Editor in Chief | RegionWeek.com
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