This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
Deal Reached on Nile Dam Dispute ¶
After years of negotiations, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have agreed to a deal on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, with Ethiopia's water minister stating that consensus has been reached to finalize the agreement within two to three weeks.
The agreement comes after a decade-long dispute over water supplies, with Egypt relying on the Nile for over 90% of its water supplies and facing high water stress. Ethiopia, on the other hand, has hinged its development ambitions on the mega-project, describing the dam as a crucial lifeline to bring millions out of poverty.
According to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, all parties have pledged not to take any unilateral action by filling the dam without a final agreement. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also indicated that the impasse between the Nile basin countries had eased, with the countries agreeing to restart negotiations through a technical committee with the aim of finalizing a deal in two weeks.
Sticking points in the talks have been how much water Ethiopia will release downstream from the dam if a multi-year drought occurs and how Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan will resolve any future disagreements. The African Union has played a key role in brokering a deal, with AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat stating that more than 90% of issues in the talks had been resolved.
Published on June 27, 2020, at 06:30:31 UTC, this article was first reported by Al Jazeera and news agencies.
