CAIRO: Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have reinitiated negotiations over the long-standing dispute concerning Ethiopia’s construction of a dam on the main tributary of the Nile River. The talks have been restarted in an effort to address the issues surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, a project with far-reaching implications for the region’s water resources.
The resumption of negotiations follows the recent statements by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, who expressed their intent to work toward an agreement within the span of four months regarding the operation of the $4.6 billion dam.
Egypt’s concerns stem from the potential dire consequences that the operation of the dam without taking its water needs into account could bring. The country is heavily reliant on the Nile River to provide water for agriculture and the livelihoods of its more than 100 million residents. Around 85 percent of the Nile’s flow originates from Ethiopia.
The Egyptian Irrigation Ministry, announcing the resumption of negotiations in Cairo, reiterated Egypt’s aim to secure a legally binding agreement outlining the operation and filling of the massive dam. Hani Sewilam, the Minister of Irrigation, emphasized that there are various “technical and legal solutions” available for addressing the ongoing dispute.
Water Dispute Between Egypt and Ethiopia
Tensions between Cairo and Addis Ababa have heightened, particularly after Ethiopia began filling the reservoir of the GERD before reaching a comprehensive agreement with the other parties involved.
Key unresolved issues revolve around Ethiopia’s commitment to releasing downstream water during periods of multi-year drought and mechanisms for resolving future disputes among the three nations. Ethiopia has rejected the concept of binding arbitration at the final stages of the dam’s construction, contributing to the impasse.
Ethiopia argues that the dam is a necessity to meet the energy needs of its population, given the substantial lack of electricity for most of its citizens.
Meanwhile, Sudan, which lies downstream of the GERD, is keen on obtaining comprehensive data and coordination from Ethiopia about the dam’s operation. This approach is intended to mitigate the risk of flooding and safeguard its own power-generating dams situated along the Blue Nile, the primary tributary of the Nile. Notably, the GERD is positioned just 10 kilometers from the Sudanese border.
