Ethiopia Losing Hopes over Nile Dam Talks

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia is losing hope with ongoing dam talks after Egypt says it will resort other options to resolve the current dispute.

The two countries, together with Sudan, resumed talks last week to solve the long-standing impasse on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Addis Ababa is building.

On Monday, Egypt said it would resort to the UN Security Council to intervene to resolve dam dispute – a move Ethiopia questions on Cairo’s faith in the ongoing negotiations.

While speaking at a press conference, Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gedu Andargachew accused Egypt of obstinacy.

The age-old stance of Egypt acting as if it is the sole owner of the Nile waters coupled with its uncompromising attitude to the realities of the day is stalling the talks, Gedu said.

“We are in the dam talks with a country that contributes nothing… not even a single drop of water but tell not to use the water,” he said. “This is because we believe in collective benefit”.

He said Egypt is engaging in the ongoing talks while simultaneously reaching out to the UN.
This doesn’t go in line with the spirits of the Declaration of Principles on GERD (DoP) that the three nations adopted in 2015, he said.

“If this agreement failed to be respected, we are not going to have anything that could bind us with Egypt… and it will blow the whole negotiation,” he said.

The Foreign Minister mentioned previous tactics of Egypt that forces Ethiopia not to get loans from lenders which forces his country to build the dam from its own packet.

He urged the international community to understand that and advise the Egyptian officials to come to their senses.

The project has now reached 74 percent complete with the first round of water filling of the dam scheduled for next month.

Appreciating the financial and emotional support Ethiopians have been giving to the construction of the dam, the Minister called on all Ethiopians to stand together in asserting their right to utilize their own natural resource.

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Featured Image: Foreign Affairs Minister Gedu speaking at a press conference on Tuesday