Nile Dam Dispute not included in Somalia and Egypt talks: spokesman

Somalia president Hassan Sheikh on Monday held a meeting with his Egypt counterpart in Cairo and agreed to cooperate on a range of issues. 

News Keydmedia Online
26 July 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The president of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi in Cairo on Monday.

According to the media outlets in Egypt, the two leaders announced during a joint press conference at Al-Ittihadiya Palace that they discussed a range of issues regarding security and stability in the Horn of Africa region, especially in the Red Sea and the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Villa Somalia's Spokesman Abdikarin Ali Kaar has strongly denied a statement from the Egyptian presidency that the dispute over GERD dominated the talks between El-Sisi and Mohamud.

The Al-Ittihadiya Palace said both leaders condemned what they called Ethiopia's unilateral measures on to filling and operation of the multi-billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. 

I and Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stressed the necessity to reach a binding deal on GERD filling and operation without delay based on the UNSC presidential statement in September 2021 in order to preserve regional security and stability," said Egypt's President Sisi.

El-Sisi added that he and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stressed the necessity to reach a binding deal on GERD filling and operation without delay based on the UNSC presidential statement in September 2021 in order to preserve regional security and stability.

It was only the circumstances that Somalia was facing in the last 3 decades that made our relationship halted and throughout these 30 years, Egypt has been with us to make sure that we come back to our right position in the int'l arena," said Somali president.

Cairo accused Addis Ababa of failing to promote consultation among the countries sharing the Nile River.  Egypt and Sudan fear that the Nile dam will drastically reduce water flow downstream.

Kaar clarified that the meeting between the two presidents and the press release never mentioned issues about the Nile River water dispute. "Somalia has nothing to do with the matter," he said.

The spokesman insisted that El-Sisi and Mohamud only discussed ways of boosting bilateral relations, especially economic cooperation, and they reviewed the progress in cooperation projects.

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