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GERD talks break down again despite US mediation
ETHIOPIA
ETHIOPIA has pulled out of US-supported talks with Egypt over the construction of the $5bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), claiming that its negotiating team must hold more talks with the government and other stakeholders.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy said on February 26 that “because the country’s delegation hasn’t concluded its con- sultation with relevant stakeholders,” its officials would not attend talks in Washington on Febru- ary 27 and 28.
The failure to hold talks this week follows an unsuccessful intervention by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week, when he tried to broker a deal.
Pompeo warned on February 21 that the dis- pute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the GERD could take “months” to resolve.
Visiting Addis Ababa, Pompeo said that while the two countries were working on “formulating thetermsofafinalagreementonthedam,”with US support, he admitted: “a great deal of work remains, but I’m optimistic that over the coming months we can resolve this.”
The Ethiopian decision to skip the talks fol- lows comments by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew after Pompeo’s visit, admit- ting that there were “outstanding issues that need negotiation.”
Talks in Washington on February 12 and 13 also broke down.
The impasse follows some progress in Jan- uary, when both sides agreed that the GERD should be filled in stages during the rainy season.
Ethiopia’s $5bn dam on the River Nile near the border is key to the country’s economic development and its ability to provide universal access to power.
Egypt is worried that the 6,000-MW dam will restrict its access to Nile waters.
Egypt receives 55.5bn cubic metres of water per year from the river, and Cairo holds that fill- ing the dam upstream in Ethiopia would reduce flows downstream to Egypt.
There have been continued claims and counter-claims between the two sides in recent months, prompting the invitation of the US as a mediator.
The water issue centres on Cairo’s desire that Ethiopia guarantees 40 bcm per year of water from the Nile.
Ethiopia has claimed that Egypt has aban- donedthisdemand,butEgyptinsistsithasnot.
Cairo is also worried about reduced water flows at its own Aswan High Dam.
Once completed, GERD is projected to gen- erate nearly 6,000 MW of electricity. Ethiopia says the project will have a significant role in economic integration among the Horn and East African countries.
GERD, the largest hydropower project in Africa, has reached 70% completion and is expected to be fully functional in 2023.™
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