Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Oryem Okello, met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, in Cairo to discuss the ramifications of the ongoing war involving Iran on Africa’s energy security, inflation, and food prices.
The meeting took place in Egypt’s new administrative capital, east of Cairo, where both ministers addressed reporters and fielded questions on the growing economic pressures affecting the continent.
Egypt is seeking ways to reduce reliance on oil-powered electricity as global energy prices surge following the U.S. and Israel’s airstrikes on Iran on February 28, which prompted retaliatory attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Persian Gulf and disruptions of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
To cope with rising energy demands, the Egyptian government has implemented early closing times for shops, restaurants, and cafes nationwide, requiring businesses to shut during peak evening hours—a move that challenges Cairo’s reputation as the “city that never sleeps.”
The price spikes are straining Egypt’s economy, which serves over 108 million people and consumes around $20 billion worth of oil products annually, including fuel for power plants. Currently, the country imports about 28 percent of its gasoline and 45 percent of its diesel.
During the talks, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to supporting water projects in Uganda and across the southern Nile Basin, including the construction of new dams to enhance regional water management and cooperation.
Both ministers emphasised the need for coordinated responses to global energy shocks and rising food costs, highlighting Africa’s vulnerability to geopolitical conflicts and the importance of collaborative solutions.
