Congo supports Egypt in Ethiopian dam issue: Prime minister

 The Congolese PM met with his Egyptian counterpart and Egypt’s parliament speaker

Congolese Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo has vowed support for Egypt in the issue of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, which is being built on a tributary to the River Nile and which Egypt is concerned could negatively impact its share of Nile water.

“We have declared our position before regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and we always support Egypt,” Ponyo said at a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sherif Ismail on Thursday during a visit to Cairo.

Ismail also expressed Egypt’s support for Congo’s construction of the Grand Inga Dam on the Congo River.  The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of Africa’s Nile Basin countries.

Despite Egypt’s concerns over the dam, Ethiopia insists it would not negatively affect Egypt’s share of water from the Nile, which is the country’s only source of fresh water. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are currently holding talks over the dam.

The Congolese PM’s visit to Egypt involved a meeting on Thursday with the Egyptian prime minister and talks on bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The two officials signed a number of economic development protocols of cooperation.

Ponyo also visited Egypt’s House of Representatives and met with its speaker Ali Abdel-Al.