Nile Countries Agree to Restart Talks, Delay Filling GERD

Arab World

June 27th, 9:24am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: Water flows through Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

The leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed late Friday to return to talks and for Addis Ababa to delay filling its new hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile. The announcement was a modest reprieve from weeks of escalating tensions over the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Ethiopia had vowed to start filling at the start of the rainy season next month. Early Saturday, Ethiopian Water and Energy Minister Seleshi Bekele confirmed that the countries had decided during an African Union summit to restart stalled negotiations and finalize an agreement over the mega-project within two to three weeks, with support from the AU. Egypt and Sudan said Ethiopia would refrain from filling the dam next month until the countries reached a deal. Ethiopia did not comment explicitly on the start of the filling period. Ethiopia has hinged its development ambitions on the colossal dam, describing it as a crucial lifeline to bring millions out of poverty. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for more than 90% of its water supplies and already faces high water stress, fears a devastating impact on its booming population of 100 million. Sudan, which also depends on the Nile for water, has played a key role in bringing the two sides together after the collapse of US-mediated talks in February. Just last week, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew warned that his country could begin filling the dam’s reservoir unilaterally, after the latest round of talks with Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an accord governing how the dam will be filled and operated. After an AU video conference chaired by South Africa late Friday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that “all parties” had pledged not to take “any unilateral action” by filling the dam without a final agreement, said Bassam Radi, Egypt’s presidency spokesman. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also indicated the impasse between the Nile basin countries had eased, saying the nations had agreed to restart negotiations through a technical committee with the aim of hammering out a conclusive deal within two weeks. Ethiopia won’t fill the dam before inking the much-anticipated deal, Hamdok's statement added. African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said the countries “agreed to an AU-led process to resolve outstanding issues," without elaborating.

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