EVN (Sept 29) Talks regarding the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have concluded without a resolution. The two-day negotiations, involving Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, wrapped up on Sunday night in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.
Ethiopia’s chief negotiator, Seleshi Bekele, stated that the discussions involved the exchange of constructive ideas on various unresolved issues. He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to ongoing negotiations.
However, Egypt’s water ministry attributed the failure to reach a breakthrough to Ethiopia’s reluctance to compromise. Egypt expressed deep concern, emphasizing the necessity of an agreement to safeguard its water security and national interests.
The dispute over the $4.6 billion GERD project, initiated in 2011, has persisted for years. The dam is anticipated to generate over 6,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling Ethiopia’s current energy output and transforming it into a net energy exporter.
Ethiopia views the dam as vital for its development, while downstream Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world with 100 million people, worries that it will limit its share of Nile water—a critical resource.
Although approximately 85% of the Nile’s flow originates from Ethiopia’s Blue Nile, Egypt has historically received the largest portion of Nile waters due to decades-old agreements dating back to the British colonial era. Ethiopia does not recognize the unjust 1959 British colonial pact that totaly excluded it from asserting any amount of water from the Nile.
Sudan, another downstream nation situated near the dam’s location on the Blue Nile, seeks an agreement to regulate Ethiopia’s water releases in the event of a severe drought.
Negotiations resumed in August following a lengthy hiatus, with both Ethiopia and Egypt aiming to reach an agreement by November. Earlier this month, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the completion of the final phase of filling the dam’s reservoir.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry highlighted his country’s growing water scarcity issues and criticized Ethiopia for commencing dam construction without consulting other Nile basin countries.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, also speaking at the UN, asserted that the dam represents Ethiopia’s legitimate development aspirations and would contribute to regional integration and prosperity. On Monday, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry acknowledged the concerns of Egypt and Sudan while emphasizing the importance of protecting its own rights to utilize its water resources.
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Abebe Gellaw
