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Egypt keen to resume

GERD talks

EGYPT- EGYPT is keen to resume talks with Ethiopia share comes from the Blue Nile tributary in
and Sudan over the 6,500-MW Grand Ethiopian Ethiopia.
Renaissance Dam (GERD) “as soon as possible,” For nearly a decade, the African Union-spon-
and has called for a legally binding agreement sored talks between Cairo, Addis Ababa and
that would achieve the three countries’ interests Khartoum over the dam’s operation and filling
and maintain regional stability. have faltered.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly The $5bn project has been fully funded by
said this week that Cairo intended to reach a Ethiopian capital and will be the largest project
legally binding agreement to fill and operate the in Africa at 6,500 MW.
dam. The Ethiopian government has said it is close
Cairo wants to reach an agreement that to holding an opening ceremony for the first two
would balance Ethiopia’s maximum possible 350-MW turbines at the GERD hydroplant. At
benefit from the dam, in the field of electricity the start of January, Ethiopia began tests at the
generation and sustainable development, while first two 350-MW units at the site.
not causing any harm to the two downstream Egypt has repeatedly said that filling the dam
countries. without any final agreement was “a violation of
Cairo wants to expedite resolving the techni- international laws and norms that regulate pro-
cal and legal disputed points on GERD, he wrote jects built on the shared basins of international
in a post published on his official Facebook page. rivers.”
“It aims at reaching a fair and balanced agree- In September 2021, the UN Security Coun-
ment, while considering Egypt’s shortage in its cil called on the three countries to resume the
water resources and main dependence on the AU-sponsored negotiations, stressing the need
Nile waters.” to reach a “binding agreement on the filling
His comments contrast with a statement and operation of GERD within a reasonable
made earlier this month by Alaa Al-Zawahiri, timetable.
a member of Egypt’s negotiating committee for The EU and the US have both affirmed their
the GERD. willingness to mediate in the negotiations on the
He said that the dispute would not be resolved GERD, between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
within a year or even five, as this type of issue The US envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey
requires much time and effort. Feltman, in May 2021 called on the three coun-
Madbouly denied claims by Ethiopia that tries to find a solution to their dispute over the
Egypt wants to prevent it from implementing GERD project, which has threatened to destabi-
development projects. lise relations between them.
“Egypt is not against development anywhere Feltman said that US President Joe Biden was
in the Nile basin but will not accept actions taken “serious in settling such a sensitive issue.”
by Ethiopia that could restrict its access to the The UN is concerned that the GERD could
Nile’s water ,” he stressed. add to the regional instability. The armed conflict
“Achieving development in all the Nile Basin between the Tigray people and Ethiopian gov-
countries has always been a priority for Egypt.” ernment has caused thousands of deaths, and
The dispute was sparked in 2011 when Addis the displacement of 2mn individuals, including
Ababa began constructing the dam. 50,000 who have fled to Sudan. That is in addi-
Egypt and 10 other downstream countries tion to putting 400,000 at the risk of famine.™
share the Nile basin, yet more than 85% of its

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 04 27•January•2022