Uganda’s Chief of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
The meeting, which took place on Wednesday in Egypt’s capital, Cairo was graced by Egypt’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defence and Military Production, General Abdel Megeed Saqr.
The Egyptian Presidency spokesperson said General Muhoozi conveyed greetings and appreciation from Ugandan President Museveni to President Al-Sisi.
President Al-Sisi expressed his appreciation for President Museveni and “lauded the historical relations between Egypt and Uganda”, according to Egypt’s Daily News.
Both sides confirmed their mutual desire to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields, especially in the military sphere.
ChimpReports understands the joint areas of cooperation including military training of Ugandan army officers.
Al-Sisi and Muhoozi also addressed regional and continental situations and ways to enhance joint cooperation and development efforts among African countries.
“The discussion focused on the Nile Basin countries, the Horn of Africa, and East Africa, with the goal of achieving the common interests of all African nations,” Egypt’s Daily News reported.
Tensions
Tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia have worsened in recent weeks following Cairo’s deployment of modern military equipment in Somalia.
President Mohamud secured Egypt’s military support after Ethiopia signed an agreement with the secessionist Somaliland region in Somalia to have access to the Red Sea.
The deal signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland’s leader, Muse Bihi Abdi in December 2023 would see Somaliland “lease 20 kms of the Red Sea to Ethiopia” for the next 50 years to establish a military base there.
Mogadishu responded by suspending diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, accusing Addis Ababa of using underhand methods to obtain access to the Red Sea and violating Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Ethiopia, which was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded from the country and declared independence in 1993 following a three-decade war, has been desperate to secure access to the sea hence ushering in a new era of enhanced maritime trade and strategic security.
Nile waters
Egypt, which has a population of about 107 million people and relies on the River Nile for nearly all of its fresh water households and agriculture – especially for growing cotton, has been at loggerheads with Ethiopia over the use of the Nile waters to fill the $4.2bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopia says it desperately needs the dam to produce electricity for the 60% of its population who currently have no supply and also power enterprises to spur business growth.
Yet, Egypt, which also uses the Nile water to fill Lake Nasser, the reservoir for Egypt’s own hydro-electric power plant, the Aswan High Dam, argues that a 2% reduction in water from the Nile could result in the loss of 200,000 acres of irrigated land.
Ethiopia also turned down Egypt’s request to fill the Grand Renaissance Dam over a period of 12 years. Ethiopia filled its dam in three years.
These tensions threaten the stability of the Horn of Africa especially Somalia where Uganda has thousands of troops.
Muhoozi’s office is yet to issue a brief on his visit to Egypt.
In 2021, Uganda announced a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Egypt.
“The fact that Uganda and Egypt share the Nile, cooperation between the two countries is inevitable because what affects Ugandans will in one way or another affect Egypt,” said Maj. Gen. Sameh Saber El-Degwi, a top Egyptian intelligence official who headed Cairo’s delegation to Kampala recently.
