Egypt still at odds with Ethiopia over giant Nile dam

Egypt says talks to resolve a conflict over a giant Nile River dam being built by Ethiopia have failed to achieve progress between the two countries.

Monday’s statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation said two-day negotiations that also included Sudan did not touch on “technical aspects” of the $5bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Egypt fears the project will significantly reduce its share of the water from the Nile – the river provides almost all of Egypt’s freshwater. Ethiopia, on the other hand, says the GERD will not have any effect on Egypt’s share of water and claims the project is necessary for its economic development.

The Egyptian ministry said that Ethiopia’s delegation refused to discuss a proposal on filling and operating what will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam.
The statement urged Ethiopia to engage in “serious technical negotiations” at September 30-October 1 talks in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.

The dam also promises economic benefits for Sudan.

Separately, a note circulated to Egyptian diplomats last week showed the extent of the two countries’ differences, Reuters news agency reported.

The note distributed by the Egyptian foreign ministry, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said Ethiopia has “summarily rejected” its plan for key aspects of operating the dam and dismissed Ethiopia’s proposal as “unfair and inequitable”.

It pointed to key differences over the annual flow of water that should be guaranteed to Egypt and how to manage flows during droughts.

A spokesperson at Ethiopia’s foreign ministry, Nebiat Getachew, said on Monday the meeting had so far produced no agreements or disagreements and gave no immediate response to the Egyptian claims.
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