NAIROBI: Ethiopia has announced the commencement of a second round of negotiations with Egypt and Sudan concerning the contentious Grand Renaissance Dam built by Addis Ababa on the Nile River, a project that has been a source of long-standing tensions between the three nations.
This development comes in the wake of Ethiopia’s recent announcement of the completion of the fourth and final filling of the Grand Renaissance Dam, a move that drew immediate condemnation from Cairo, with Egypt denouncing it as illegal. Egypt and Sudan have expressed concerns that the massive $4.2-billion dam will significantly reduce their share of Nile water, leading to repeated calls for Ethiopia to halt the filling until a mutually agreed-upon agreement is reached.
For years, the three countries have been embroiled in disputes over the dam, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreeing in July to work towards a deal within a four-month timeframe, with talks resuming in August.
Talks Between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan
In a statement, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said, “The second round of the tripartite negotiation among #Ethiopia, #Egypt, and #Sudan on the… annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (#GERD) has commenced today, September 23, 2023, in Addis Ababa.” Ethiopia reiterated its commitment to finding a negotiated and amicable solution through the ongoing trilateral process.
These prolonged negotiations, dating back to 2011, have yet to produce an agreement between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbors. Egypt, heavily reliant on the Nile for 97 percent of its water needs, has consistently viewed the dam as an existential threat to its water security.
The Grand Renaissance Dam is a critical component of Ethiopia’s development plans, and in February 2022, Addis Ababa announced that it had started generating electricity from the dam for the first time. At full capacity, this colossal hydroelectric dam, measuring 1.8 kilometers in length and 145 meters in height, has the potential to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity. This would double Ethiopia’s current electricity production, providing access to power for a greater portion of its population.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s position on the dam has experienced fluctuations in recent years, compounded by the ongoing civil conflict within the country. The United Nations has warned that Egypt could face a severe water crisis by 2025, and parts of Sudan, particularly those affected by the Darfur conflict, are increasingly vulnerable to drought due to the effects of climate change. The negotiations continue against the backdrop of these pressing regional challenges.
