Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan Agree On Controversial Dam To End Water Dispute

Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan want a deal next month on filling Ethiopia’s giant new hydroelectric dam to end a decade-long dispute over water supplies. Their accord on the Blue Nile river dam announced over the weekend followed mediation by the African Union (AU), the cooperative body of 55 member states on the African continent.

Egypt: Ethiopia Rejecting ‘Fundamental Issues’ on Nile Dam

Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia on June 14 said talks would continue later this week to resolve their dispute over a Nile River dam that Ethiopia is constructing, even as Cairo accused Addis Ababa of rejecting “fundamental issues” at the heart of the negotiations.

Sudan to Establish Commission for Religious Freedom

Sudan’s transitional government agreed last week to establish an independent national commission for religious freedom, The Christian Post reported. Together with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) group which fought against ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir, the Transitional Sovereign Council is forming the commission in order to “address all issues relating to religious freedom in order to affirm the principle of peaceful coexistence in the country.”

UN experts say South Sudan peace deal is at risk

UN experts are concerned South Sudan’s peace deal is at risk because unity government partners are arguing about security and resources instead of implementing the terms of the 2018 agreement, VOA News reports. A panel of experts on South Sudan reported to the UN Security Council last week that “selective and incomplete implementation” of agreed security arrangements threatened peace and stability in the country.

India Condemns U.S. Religious Rights Report

A U.S. government advisory panel wants India on a religious freedom blacklist over a “drastic” downturn under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering an angry reaction from New Delhi. In addition to India, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also recommends the inclusion of four more – Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.

Two churches burned down by arsonists despite hopes for Christian freedom

Two churches in Sudan have been burned down by arsonists in the last month, Sudanese Radio Dabanga reported. This is despite Christian hopes for religious freedom following the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. Radio Dabanga was notified of the attacks by Dimas Marajan, a local lawyer and human rights activist.

African locust swarm headed for Middle East

An ‘unprecedented’ locust swarm is forming in the Horn of Africa, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and is expected to cause major food shortages across Africa and the Middle East later this summer.

Egypt: We’ll use ‘all means’ to defend Nile interests

Egypt on Saturday said it would use ‘all available means’ to defend ‘the interests’ of its people after Ethiopia skipped the latest round of U.S.-brokered talks on a disputed Nile dam project with Egypt and Sudan.

Locust plague begins to spread from Africa to Middle East and Asia

Locusts swarming across eastern Africa have now made their way out of the continent, into the Middle East, and as far as India, Pakistan, and China, though authorities in east Asia say they are not yet worried about the locusts coming further inland.

Worthy Christian News