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The United States has made a move to mediate the negotiation over the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by calling a meeting on Nov.6. Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt are invited to attend the meeting in Washington, USA.
According to the VoA report, the US administration called the meeting to mediate over the huge dam, which is being built on the River Nile in Ethiopia, which caused a standoff among the three countries.
Ethiopian Water, Irrigation, and Energy minister Sileshi Bekele said two weeks ago that Ethiopia only accepts a tripartite negotiation (Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia). He also added that Ethiopia believes that trilateral technical consultation is the option to resolve the differences between the three countries
On the other side, Egypt said earlier this month that it accepted the US call for the meeting.
Egypt is worried about the dam being built near the border of Ethiopia and Sudan. Claiming that it could affect its share of the Nile river, in which the nation is dependent. Some media in Egypt consider the dam as a national security threat and require military action.
Whereas Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed last week at the parliament, said: “I can assure you that there is no way we are going to stop the construction of the dam.”
Russia also had offered mediation last Thursday during the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, Russia. But nothing was said about the two countries accepted the offer or not.
Abiy and Al-Sisi also met on Thursday in Sochi, and according to reports, they have agreed on resuming technical talks to reach a final proposal on filling and operating the dam. Nothing was said about the mediation, though.
Egypt proposes for a long term filling and operation of the dam, allowing the annual normal flow of the river. Ethiopian side considers Egypt’s proposal as “unfair,” and it “undermines the sovereignty of the country.”
The Ethiopian government hasn’t yet responded to the latest call of the US for a meeting in Washington.
Egyptians have trust issues!!! Ethiopian King Menelik II in the past swore to them and recently Sisi asked PM Dr Abiy to swear to God and he did. But still they talk about war and causing problems in Ethiopia to stop building the dam.
In the past Egyptian politicians were embarrassed after being caught suggesting hostile acts against Ethiopia to stop it from building a dam across the Blue Nile.
I think Egyptians are more concerned that Ethiopia might use the dam for political advantage once it is built than amount of water released to them. Hence why they have been and still causing problems in Ethiopia.