It seems that after President Mursi and his government have failed to resolve the crisis, there is no other solution than to include the Coptic Orthodox Church into the discussion. The connection between the Coptic Orthodox Church and Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church could be the last chance to resolve the Nile water crisis. Despite the administrative separation of the two churches in 1959 the emotional and spiritual connection between them is still strong and stable.

Egyptian Patriarchs intervened in the era of President Gamal Abd El Nasser (Jamāl ’Abd al-Nāsir) in order to resolve a Nile water conflict. For instance, late Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III played an important role in this context. Therefore it would seem that the Muslim Brotherhood will have to waive its slogan “Islam is the solution” and change it to “Church is the solution” in the water crisis.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is fully aware of their important role in the conflict between the two countries. Najīb Jubrā’īl, Coptic Lawyer and Head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organization, denied that the church has received any formal request from the presidency about its involvement. However, he stressed that the church and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II will try to resolve this conflict with all their power to protect the Egyptians. Jubrā’īl pointed at the return of Pope Tawadros II from Vienna next Sunday, after which he will meet with the Patriarch and Catholicos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Cairo. The Nile water conflict will be their first subject for discussion (Sarah Muhsin, al-Wafd, May 31, p. 5). Read original text in Arabic.