Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with the Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Térèse K Wagner as well as members of the Egyptian community during his visit to the Congolese capital Kinshasa.

Pointing to the historic ties that bind Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ali Al-Hefni, deputy to Egypt’s foreign minister, said Abdelatty’s visit reflected Cairo’s commitment to strengthening relations based on respect and mutual support.

Noting the presence of an Egyptian police unit serving in the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Al-Hefni said its deployment underlined Egypt’s commitment to both the DRC’s, and regional, security.

During the visit, the two countries signed an agreement to adhere to international legal principles governing the River Nile, particularly the principles of prior notification and no harm. Meeting with his Congolese counterpart, both officials stressed the importance of upholding these principles, alongside those of consensus, cooperation, consultation and the exchange of data and information.

DRC, says Al-Hefni, has adopted a clear stand: Kinshasa regards the Entebbe agreement as incomplete as long as Egypt and Sudan are not among the signatories.

The River Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) — also known as the Entebbe Agreement — is the result of more than a decade of negotiations among Nile Basin states. Egypt and Sudan did not take part in the negotiations because the agreement failed to accommodate their water rights as stipulated in earlier treaties. The CPA was signed and ratified by five Nile nations, including Ethiopia. The DRC has signed the agreement but has not ratified it. The CFA comes into effect only when it is ratified by half of the Nile Basin states. The DRC has tried to resolve the differences between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and promote agreement on its operation and filling.

During the DRC’s chairmanship of the African Union in 2021, President Tshisekedi hosted several rounds of talks between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan in an attempt to restart stalled negotiations.

During his visit to Kinshasa, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s commitment to contribute to the implementation of development projects in CRD, especially in the fields of energy and infrastructure. To this end, he announced Egypt’s contribution to the financing of the MBANKANA 1 Dam, some 150 km from Kinshasa on a tributary of the River Congo.

Abdelatty also noted Egypt’s role in establishing a specialised cardiac surgery department at Kinshasa General Hospital which was furbished with medical equipment provided by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EADP), and where Egyptian doctors are training Congolese staff.

The DRC is one of the top beneficiaries of EADP’s technical cooperation programmes and capacity-building initiatives. EAPD was established in 2014 to support Africa’s development aspirations through the transfer of knowledge, skills and expertise.

An agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports was signed during the visit. The agreement is designed to facilitate visits of high-ranking officials from the two countries in the hope of further boosting relations. The two countries also signed a cooperation framework agreement which commits them to regular consultations on strategic issues.

Abdelatty delivered a message from President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi to his Congolese counterpart. The message highlighted the long-standing relationship between the two countries, expressed appreciation of the strong bilateral ties between Kinshasa and Cairo, and included an invitation for President Tshisekedi to visit Cairo soon.

Abdelatty and Wagner discussed ways to enhance economic and investment cooperation, including the launch of an Egyptian-Congolese Business Forum to boost trade.

Abdelatty also held meetings with senior Congolese officials during which he discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation, develop partnerships, and support regional security and stability. The same topics were addressed during his meetings with the Egyptian community in DRC and with Egyptian and Congolese businessmen.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 November, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly