CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed his country’s full support for the implementation stages of the Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania.
El-Sisi met with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Eng. Sherif Ismail, assistant to the president for national and strategic projects, to discuss the establishment of the dam, which is being implemented by an alliance of Egyptian companies under Cairo’s supervision.
El-Sisi gave full support for the project according to the best standards “so that this dam becomes a leading model and symbol of cooperation, building and friendship between Egypt, Tanzania and all brotherly African countries.”
He directed senior government officials to visit the dam construction site to follow up on the progress of work and the executive position, and coordinate with officials in Tanzania.
The meeting reviewed the general plan of the dam project, which aims to generate hydroelectric power and protect the surrounding environment from torrential rains and swamps.
It also aims to store about 34 billion cubic meters of water in a newly developed lake to ensure water is always available for agriculture, hunting and conservation of the surrounding wildlife in Africa’s largest nature reserve.
The $2.9 billion dam is located in the Stigler Gorge region in Tanzania, employing an estimated 5,000 people, including engineers and workers.
Mohamed Hegazy, Egypt’s former assistant foreign minister, said Cairo’s move confirms that the path of cooperation and regional integration in energy and water resources can bring great benefits to all riparian countries around the Nile.
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