Egypt’s Africa push prioritises water security, regional influence

By Gazette Staff President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s recent visits to Kenya and Uganda reflected Egypt’s growing focus on Africa, as Cairo seeks to strengthen political ties, safeguard its water interests and expand economic co-operation across the continent. The tour comes at a time when Egypt has been moving to further deepen engagement with African states after years in which regional and international powers expanded their presence and influence across Africa. Sisi attended the Africa–France Summit in Nairobi before traveling to Entebbe for talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.  For many Egyptian observers, the visit carried significance beyond traditional diplomacy, reflecting Cairo’s increasingly firm view that Africa is directly linked to Egypt’s national security and economic priorities. Sisi’s recent African outreach aims at restoring what he described as Egypt’s “balanced leadership role” on the continent, political sciences professor Gamal Salama said.  Cairo is working as hard as ever to fill gaps that other international powers have used to increase their influence in Africa, he added. “Water security remains one of Egypt’s main concerns as tensions continue over upstream water projects in the Nile Basin. Uganda is a key in the equation, as one of the River Nile source countries, and has generally maintained a co-operative attitude toward Egypt compared with some other regional players,” Salama explained. Uganda has for long supported the idea that the Nile should be a source of cooperation rather than conflict, former assistant foreign minister, Mona Omar said. That position is essential for Egypt, at a time when discussions over water rights and resource management remain highly sensitive across the region, she noted. Egyptian officials and analysts also point to development projects as part of Egypt’s strategy. Egyptian companies and technical teams have been involved in infrastructure and road projects in Uganda, while discussions continue over energy co-operation, irrigation and water management. The relationship between Egypt and Uganda dates back to the 1960s and has gained momentum through shared membership in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), former ambassador, Ali El Hefny, said. Both countries are looking to increase trade, investment and joint development projects, he added. Over the last few years, Egypt has expanded its engagement with African capitals through summits, infrastructure deals, training programmes and security co-operation. The latest East Africa tour suggests that approach is continuing – and perhaps accelerating. The post Egypt’s Africa push prioritises water security, regional influence appeared first on Egyptian Gazette.