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Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam
(GERD)

Cairo warns Ethiopia over GERD impact

on Nile water flow

EGYPT DURING a press conference in Cairo with his Leagues (AL) countries to put pressure on Ethi-
ETHIOPIA Kenyan counterpart, Egypt’s Foreign Minis- opia to stop unilateral practices and implement
ter, Sameh Shoukry, emphasised that Ethiopia the compromises reached at the negotiations
must consider the interests of the other down- table.
stream countries (namely Sudan and Egypt) The AL has supported Egypt and Sudan in
and prevent any significant harm caused by its their efforts to reach a legally binding agreement
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with Ethiopia that safeguards the needs of each
project – Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam – country as well as historical water rights. The
that it is building near the source of the river UAE attempted to mediate between the three
Nile. countries but failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Shoukry warned that if Ethiopia fails to avert A preliminary agreement, signed by the three
negative consequences that could affect the Nile’s parties in Washington in 2020 and brokered by
water flow, Egypt will take unspecified measures the US and the World Bank, has yet to bear fruit,
to defend its people’s interests. and led to a dead end.
“If this is not done, the Egyptian state will The last round of negotiations between the
undoubtedly defend the interests of its people three countries collapsed in April 2021 in Kin- Ethiopia must
and take measures that lead to that,” he warned. shasa, DRC, while all attempts to revive talks
However, Shoukry also left a window open since then have failed. consider the
for negotiations, expressing a desire to reach a Ethiopia has implemented three phases of
mutual consensus on the GERD issue. dam filling and started the operation of its mega- interests of the
dam unilaterally, despite objections from Egypt
He stated that Egypt has been flexible in seek-
ing a legally binding agreement on the filling and and Sudan. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah other downstream
operation of the dam and has introduced con- El-Sisi has warned that reducing Egypt’s water countries.
structive proposals. Still, the minister expressed share would constitute a red line that could dest-
doubts about Ethiopia’s genuine willingness to abilise the region.
reach an agreement. He stressed the need for In what could be a breakthrough towards
Ethiopia to act responsibly and expressed con- solving the long-standing row between the
cern about the country’s plans to further expand three riparian nations, a group of British envi-
the dam and carry out its fourth phase of filling ronmental scientists has recently published a
unilaterally. study proposing an innovative solution, which
Shoukry’s remarks came after a statement by recommends that the countries co-ordinate
the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs last and constantly regulate the water flow accord-
week, when he said that Ethiopia would continue ing to changing climate conditions and power
building its dam and hinted that the GERD issue needs.
is to be settled only through the African Union The new study also takes into account the
(AU) mediation, snubbing “third parties” that dynamic factors brought about by climate
could enter the negotiations. change. However, the countries will first have to
Shoukry responded by calling on fellow Arab agree to a joint plan that is nowhere in sight.™

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