CAIRO - Rolling out the post-revolution Egypt in Africa, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has announced its full support for water projects and training in Uganda. Egypt's support for this fellow Nile Basin country will include upgrading the qualifications of Ugandan workers, digging wells and clearing the Great Lakes. Egypt's decision to do more to boost development projects across the continent came hours after a visit to Uganda by a high-level Egyptian delegation, comprising chairmen of political parties, presidential candidates, media people, experts and heavyweight businessmen. It also came after a meeting between Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hussein el-Otifi and the Ugandan Ambassador in Cairo. Earlier, acting Prime Minister Essam Sharaf had declared that the Egyptian Government has adopted a new policy in the continent, which, he believes, will persuade African countries to open a new chapter in their relations with Cairo. Sharaf, whose first official visit outside Egypt was to northern Sudan and southern Sudan, the world's youngest country, has promised to visit other African countries in the near future, in order to end decades-long misunderstandings between them and Egypt. These misunderstandings have caused big disagreements between Egypt and other Nile Basin countries over the distribution of the river's waters. Egyptian diplomats blame the arrogant attitude of the Mubarak regime for the problems. His ill-conceived policies spoiled Egypt's admirable history in Africa.
