Cairo Warns Addis Ababa Against Filling GERD Before Reaching Agreement

Cairo Warns Addis Ababa Against Filling GERD Before Reaching Agreement
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Cairo Warns Addis Ababa Against Filling GERD Before Reaching Agreement

Cairo Warns Addis Ababa Against Filling GERD Before Reaching Agreement

Egypt has warned Ethiopia against filling the Renaissance Dam it is building on the Blue Nile before reaching a binding and legal agreement on the filling and operation process.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Sunday that his country is ready to launch a new serious negotiation process that takes into account the interests of Cairo, Khartoum, and Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia has been building the dam on the main tributary of the Nile since 2011, and its Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy announced the completion of about 78 percent of the construction so far.

Last week, it announced the dam is expected to hold 13.5 billion cubic meters of water in the upcoming rainy season.

Authorities started filling the reservoir on July 21, 2020. However, the completion of the first filling phase prior to reaching an agreement with Egypt and Sudan irked both countries.

Cairo has been seeking through intense diplomatic efforts to receive international support for its position against Addis Ababa’s.

On Sunday, Shoukry received a phone call from Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto, during which he affirmed that his country “had hoped for the success of the African Union (AU) efforts in resolving the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) issue.”

The AU-sponsored talks between Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Khartoum over the operation and filling of the mega-dam have faltered and were stalled in January, despite the intervention of international actors such as the United States and the European Union with observers.

Shoukry expressed his country’s aspirations to resume talks under the AU's new chairmanship of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.

“The Egyptian state has expressed its political determination to reach a fair and balanced agreement that achieves Ethiopia’s development goals while preserving Egypt’s rights and protecting the two downstream countries from the dam’s potential dangers,” a foreign ministry statement read.

Addis Ababa refuses to legalize any agreement reached, which binds it to specific measures to alleviate the drought.



Lebanon’s Former Economy Minister Detained on Corruption and Embezzlement Charges

Former Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam 
Former Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam 
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Lebanon’s Former Economy Minister Detained on Corruption and Embezzlement Charges

Former Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam 
Former Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam 

Former Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam was arrested on Wednesday by order of Public Prosecutor Jamal al-Hajjar on multiple corruption-related suspicions, including embezzlement of public funds and the signing of questionable contracts during his tenure.

The arrest follows a three-hour interrogation by the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch, conducted in the presence of Salam’s lawyer, Samer al-Hajj.

The move comes just two weeks after Salam was initially questioned at the Beirut Justice Palace. At that time, al-Hajjar had released him on a residency guarantee, lifted his travel ban, and returned his passport. However, new evidence has since prompted further legal action.

According to a senior judicial source, the renewed investigation was triggered by a formal complaint filed by the parliamentary Economic Committee, which accused Salam of embezzlement, forgery, illicit enrichment, and extortion of insurance companies in exchange for contract renewals. The Ministry of Economy reportedly submitted documentation indicating that several contracts signed by Salam were marked by serious irregularities and signs of corruption.

A new case was subsequently opened, prompting the Public Prosecutor to instruct the Information Branch to summon Salam for further questioning — a session that ultimately led to his detention.

The investigation is expected to expand beyond Salam himself. Authorities are reportedly looking into the activities of his inner circle at the ministry. Al-Hajjar plans to transfer the case to the Financial Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine further charges and refer the file to Investigative Judge Bilal Halawi. Halawi will then decide whether to issue a formal arrest warrant, release Salam on bail, or keep him in detention.

Salam’s legal troubles are not new. His former advisor, Fadi Tamim, was previously sentenced to one year in prison in a separate insurance-related corruption case. His brother and former chief of staff, Karim Salam, was also arrested two months ago and remains in custody.

This marks the first arrest of a senior Lebanese official on corruption charges since 2003, signaling what many observers see as a potentially significant shift in Lebanon’s long-stalled accountability efforts.