Page 4 - AsianOil Week 29 2020

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

New hope for GERD talks, but

differences are still deep

Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have embarked on a fresh round of GERD talks. Initial reaction is
positive, but there are entrenched differences to overcome, writes Richard Lockhart

ETHIOPIA ETHIOPIA, Egypt and Sudan are confident that Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Ethi-
renewed talks on the GERD project could pave opian Prime Minister stressed Ethiopia’s com-
WHAT: the way for a future agreement on filling the mitment to continued equitable and reasonable
The African Union is project’s reservoir and operating the 6,475-MW utilisation of the Blue Nile Waters, without sig-
sponsoring renewed talks hydropower plant (HPP). nificant harm to Sudan and Egypt.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali “Ethiopia is committed to a balanced and
WHY: said on July 21 that he had held a “fruitful meet- win-win negotiation that ascertains the Blue Nile
Africa is keen to find an ing” on the $4bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance will benefit all the three countries,” the statement
African solution to African Dam (GERD) project, organised by South Afri- read.
problems can President Cyril Ramaphosa and the African The PM said that the talks begun on July 21
Union. had concluded with “all parties reaching a major
WHAT NEXT: Ahmed Ali said that after talks with Egyptian common understanding which paves the way for
All parties have agreed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Sudanese a breakthrough agreement. Ethiopia, Egypt and
to continue technical President Abdalla Hamdok, they had agreed Sudan agreed for further technical discussions
discussions on the dam to continue technical discussions on filling the on the filling to continue in the African Union-
dam. led process and [to] proceed to a comprehensive
This is a major breakthrough, as previous agreement.”
talks, sponsored by the African Union and the
US government, had broken down. Access to power
“Our utilisation of the Nile waters creates an The talks are taking place as water levels at the
opportunity to further strengthen cross-border GERD dam have risen in the last two weeks.
relations among neighbouring countries and Ethiopia said that high seasonal rainfall had
will not be a source of mistrust and unfair com- raised water levels naturally to a level that pro-
petition,” said Ethiopian President Sahle-Work vides the 4.9bn cubic metres of water movement
Zewde. required to operate the dam’s first two turbines.
However, the Egyptians were less positive, Ethiopia has built the project, using domestic
with Egyptian negotiator Alaa Al-Zawahary tell- capital as well as some Chinese cash, in a bid to
ing domestic news that Cairo was still worried extend access to power to the 11mn Ethiopians
about water levels in the Nile, especially during that have none, and to drive forward the econ-
periods of drought. omy. Put simply, Addis Ababa says that it needs

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 29 23•July•2020