Egypt, Sudan hold joint military drills as Nile dispute with Ethiopia drags on

The naval drills come at a time of heightened tensions with Ethiopia as Addis Ababa works toward completing the filling of its controversial Nile dam without reaching an agreement with its downstream neighbors.
Egyptian officers monitor as fellow crewmembers unload pallets containing food sent by Egypt for people displaced during ethnic clashes in the Blue Nile State, from a plane at a military base in the capital Khartoum, on August 4, 2022. - Ethnic clashes in a deadly land dispute that erupted in Sudan's Blue Nile state in July have killed 105 people and wounded 291, according to the state's health minister. Fighting broke out in the southern state which borders Ethiopia and South Sudan on July 11 between membe
Egyptian officers watch as a crew unloads pallets containing food sent by Egypt for people displaced during ethnic clashes from a plane at a military base in the capital Khartoum on Aug. 4, 2022. - EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP via Getty Images
Beatrice Farhat headshot
Beatrice Farhat
@beatricefarhat

Naval forces from Egypt and Sudan have completed joint military drills at the naval base of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, amid mounting fears of military escalation in light of the deadlocked talks on a controversial dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile River.

Besides conducting military exercises, the multi-day drills included lectures and workshops on maritime security, illegal immigration, counter-terrorism and atypical threats, the Egyptian army said in a statement published Monday on Facebook. 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more