Museveni, Sisi Pledge Deeper Uganda–Egypt Ties, Call for Fair Approach to River Nile Management

Cairo, Egypt – August 11, 2025 — Uganda’s  President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has concluded high-level talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, with both leaders committing to strengthen bilateral cooperation and adopt a collaborative, scientific approach to the future of the Nile River.

“It has been a long time since I last visited Egypt,” Museveni remarked, thanking President el-Sisi for the invitation and describing the visit as “a productive dialogue” on shared challenges and opportunities.

He noted the deep historical ties linking Uganda and the Great Lakes region to Egypt through the Nile, highlighting that political relations between the two nations began to strengthen after 1952 when President Gamal Abdel Nasser came to power.

The two leaders devoted significant attention to Nile Basin cooperation, a subject that has dominated regional diplomacy in recent months following Ethiopia’s announcement of the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Museveni urged stakeholders to widen their approach to Nile issues beyond historic rights and focus on the shared needs of all basin countries.

“We must approach the issue of the Nile with a broad perspective,” he said.

“Rather than focusing solely on historical rights, we should consider the global needs of all Nile Basin countries. Our goal should be prosperity for all, access to electricity for all, irrigation for all, and clean drinking water for all. By including these objectives in our framework, we can employ the most scientific and fair methods to achieve them.”

Beyond water diplomacy, the meeting yielded concrete outcomes in economic and technical cooperation. Museveni commended Egypt for providing Uganda with foot-and-mouth disease vaccines and welcomed Cairo’s decision to establish a vaccine factory in Uganda.

“Economic cooperation should be at the core of Africa’s progress,” he said, emphasizing shared ambitions to produce, trade, create jobs, and develop electricity and irrigation infrastructure.

Uganda and Egypt signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering trade and investment, agriculture, water management, community development, and diplomatic engagement. Both leaders stressed that these agreements reflect a shared commitment to turn political goodwill into tangible benefits for their populations.

The visit builds on Museveni’s recent meeting in Entebbe with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Badr Abdellaty, where he called on all Nile stakeholders to work together to safeguard the river from environmental degradation and outdated agricultural practices.

Analysts say Uganda’s active engagement with both upstream and downstream Nile countries positions it as a potential mediator in balancing competing interests over Africa’s most geopolitically sensitive waterway.

With the GERD inauguration set for September and Nile Basin dynamics shifting rapidly, the Museveni–el-Sisi talks indicate a mutual desire to anchor water diplomacy in science, development, and equitable resource sharing, principles both leaders say are essential for lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

President Museveni’s delegation included ministers of internal affairs, finance, environment, Luweero among others.