Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto announced Sunday that Indonesia will back Egypt in defending its Nile water rights amid a renewed standoff with Ethiopia. 

His Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been telling Asian leaders that it wants to safeguard its access to the world’s longest river. In Jakarta, he managed to convince Prabowo to give his support. The leaders were taking turns to address the media after hours of closed-door talks at the palace on Sunday. Despite having already made his statement, Prabowo took the mic to unveil Jakarta's stance on the issue.

“We are deeply concerned if there is an intention to violate international law or diminish other countries’ rights to their water sources. We hope everyone advances their mutual interests for the region,” Prabowo said.

“We [Indonesia] will support Egypt’s efforts to secure its water rights.”

The river supplies over 90% of Egypt’s freshwater requirements.

Speaking right next to Prabowo, Sisi described the Nile as the Egyptians’ lifeline, similar to what he had said in South Korea earlier that week.

“I stressed Egypt’s adherence to its water rights and its categorical rejection of any unilateral measures that could harm its water security or infringe upon its historical and acquired rights,” Sisi told reporters.

Neither leader explicitly named Ethiopia. 

The dispute over the Nile River centers on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Ethiopia inaugurated the $5 billion project in 2025 to boost its electricity generation and economic development. Cairo fears that unilateral control of Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam could shrink its water supplies, particularly during drought. Egypt, along with its neighbors Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia, recently issued a declaration that addressed the Nile in an attempt to push back against Ethiopia’s policies. Addis Ababa has accused Egypt of backing rebel troops.

A 16-point joint statement published after Prabowo-Sisi talks included a paragraph on the Nile River. The document called for full adherence not only to international law on transboundary watercourses, but also to the “principle of not causing harm”.

Add as a preferred source on Google +