Egypt defence minister rules out use of force to solve water crisis

Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi dismisses notion of using military force as means of resolving longstanding dispute over Egypt's share of Nile water

 

Minister of Defence Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed Saturday his refusal to resort to military force in order to solve an ongoing saga over Egypt's share of the Nile water.

"We want to live and they [Ethiopians] want to live, so we have to find a peaceful solution for this file which was abandoned for so long [during the reign of former President Hosni Mubarak]," El-Sisi said while at a military base in Dahshour, Giza governorate.
Fears over probable shortages of potable water in Egypt rose after a technical report on the impact of a new Ethiopian mega dam had revealed possible concerns of potential negative influence on Egypt’s share of the Nile Water.
The report, according to a government official, is not suggesting that the 'Renaissance Dam' will drive Egypt into "water starvation but it is certainly saying that certain measures have to be followed to make sure that Ethiopia gets the water necessary for storage in the dam in line with Egypt’s consent and needs."