CAIRO — Egyptians have high expectations for their country’s progress now that it has returned to the Pan-African Parliament after a three-year absence. Officials hope the parliament will help resolve Egypt’s issues with other African countries, the most notable being the Nile waters crisis, the Renaissance Dam dispute, the Halayeb and Shalateen land issue and economic matters.

The Pan-African Parliament, based in Midrand, South Africa, is the advisory body of the African Union (AU), seated in Addis Ababa, and its 54 member states. The AU suspended Egypt’s membership in 2013 following the June 30 Revolution and the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi after protests in Cairo, considering his ouster a violation of the constitutional order.

The AU lifted Egypt’s suspension in August 2014, after Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn into office in June that same year after winning presidential elections with 96.9% of the votes.

On May 3, five members of the Egyptian parliament were sworn in as members of the Pan-African Parliament. Mai Mahmoud, one of the newly sworn-in members and secretary of the African Affairs Committee of the Egyptian parliament, told Al-Monitor, “We are counting on Egypt’s return to the Pan-African Parliament to be part of a solution to the many crises, most notably the Renaissance Dam crisis with Ethiopia and the Halayeb and Shalateen issue with Sudan. Yet, our eyes are focused on the restoration of ties.”