A FRESH round of negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan has commenced in Cairo, focusing on the ongoing dispute surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in a statement on Sunday.
Hani Sewilam, the Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, emphasised the critical need to establish a binding legal agreement regarding the operational and filling regulations of the dam constructed within Ethiopia’s Nile River section. He underscored that the agreement should effectively address the interests and concerns of all three nations involved, according to the official statement.
After years of inconclusive negotiations, Egypt and Sudan, situated downstream, are hopeful of achieving a mutually accepted legal agreement with upstream Ethiopia that governs the filling and operation of the GERD.
Minister Sewilam highlighted the imperative of halting any unilateral actions in this context. He emphasized that proceeding with the dam’s filling and operation without a prior tripartite agreement would constitute a violation of the Declaration of Principles established by the three countries in 2015.
‘Egypt remains committed to applying maximum efforts towards the success of these negotiations,’ affirmed the Egyptian minister. He stressed that Egypt believes numerous technical and legal solutions are at hand, which could harmonize the interests of all three nations and facilitate the realisation of the desired agreement.
Ethiopia initiated the dam’s filling in 2020 despite objections from Egypt and Sudan. This eventually led to the suspension of pertinent tripartite negotiations in 2021.
In July, Addis Ababa announced the extension of the fourth phase of dam filling until September and assured that downstream countries would not be negatively impacted by this action.
The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam began in 2011, with the ambitious hydropower project projected to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity. However, Egypt and Sudan remain apprehensive about potential reductions in their share of Nile water due to the dam’s operation.