Egypt and Ethiopia have affirmed their commitment to the negotiations aimed at resolving a dispute over Addis Ababa’s giant hydropower dam on the Blue Nile.
During the inauguration of several development projects in the Suez Canal Authority on Tuesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi voiced his country’s concern about the ongoing crisis with Ethiopia.
He said the negotiations are “worrisome” and need “patience,” urging his people to trust the political leadership. He also reassured them that Cairo will not undermine its water rights.
Cairo considers the dam an “existential issue” and has repeatedly stressed that it will not allow its water interests to be harmed.
The last round of failed talks between Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was held in April in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the dam, but Egypt and Sudan argue that Addis Ababa’s plan to add 13.5 billion cubic meters of water in 2021 to the dam’s reservoir is a threat to them.
Last week, US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman kicked off an African tour to address the complex political, security and humanitarian crises in the region.
The US envoy’s tour came amid efforts by the African Union, which sponsored the stalled negotiations between the three countries launched in July last year, to reduce tensions in light of Addis Ababa’s insistence to move forward with the second filling next July.
As part of an African tour, which included Egypt and Sudan, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, the current AU chair, arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday in an attempt to discuss the deadlock.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed affirmed his country’s commitment to the AU-sponsored talks.
On his official Twitter account, Ahmed welcomed Tshisekedi and hailed his positive role to resolve the dam dispute.
“Ethiopia remains committed to the AU-led process to reach an agreement that serves the interests of the three countries,” Ahmed tweeted.
Cairo and Khartoum have called for the US, the UN and the European Union to help reach a legally binding deal on the dam's filling and operation.
