This archive report was first published on 13 June 2020.
CAIRO, June 13, 2020 - Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry has expressed its disappointment with the ongoing negotiations over the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) due to Ethiopia's intransigence.
The dam, which has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin since its construction began nearly a decade ago, is seen as essential for Ethiopia's electrification and development. However, Sudan and Egypt view it as a threat to their essential water supplies.
According to Mohamed al-Sebaie, spokesperson for Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry, Ethiopia's refusal to sign a fair and balanced deal has made it difficult to achieve a breakthrough in the negotiations.
"Ethiopia's intransigence, which once again became abundantly clear during the ongoing meetings of the ministers of water resources of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, has made it challenging to reach a consensus," Sebaie said.
The talks between the irrigation and water ministers from the three Nile basin countries resumed on Tuesday after a four-month hiatus, with the presence of three observers from the United States, European Union, and South Africa.
Despite the efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement, the process has been hindered by Ethiopia's refusal to sign a deal that Egypt backed as "fair and balanced". The United States and the World Bank had sponsored talks from November 2019 to reach a deal, but the process ran aground after the Treasury Department urged Ethiopia to sign the deal.
Ethiopia denied a deal had been reached and accused Washington of being "undiplomatic" and playing favourites. The 6,600-kilometre-long Nile is a lifeline supplying water and powering electricity in the 10 countries it traverses.
