Following the conclusion of the fourth round of negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a statement issued by Egypt has sparked a blame game between the two nations regarding the failure to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopia contends that the talks failed due to Egypt’s refusal to address legal and technical issues, while Egypt attributes the breakdown to what it characterizes as Ethiopia’s ‘colonial perspectives.’
The fourth tripartite talks, involving Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, took place on Monday and Tuesday in Addis Ababa, following an agreement reached in Cairo last July between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Egyptian President Al-Sisi.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the negotiations in Addis Ababa adhered to guidelines established by the leaders to advise experts from all countries on the dam’s filling.
However, a statement from the ministry argues that Ethiopia’s attempts to reach an agreement were thwarted by Egypt’s stance.
The minister emphasized that the discussions on filling and annual management rules were not intended to build trust among the three countries but were perceived by Ethiopia as an attempt to restrict its right to use water.
Despite signing an ‘agreement of principles’ in late 2015, the countries have yet to reach consensus on crucial details.
Egypt, which filed a lawsuit against Ethiopia, alleging that it manipulates the dam negotiation process for its benefit, expressed its intention to monitor the dam’s filling and management in line with international law to safeguard its water rights.
In response, Ethiopia contends that Egypt’s approach constitutes a violation of the United Nations Charter.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, whose construction commenced 12 years ago, has currently reached 91 percent completion.
Funded by contributions from both Ethiopians and the government, this colossal project stands as the largest in Africa, boasting a power generation capacity of 5,200 megawatts.
For the past two years, two turbines of the Renaissance Dam, each with a capacity of 350 MW, have been actively generating power.
The overall cost of the dam has exceeded 180 billion birr to date, with an additional 60 billion birr required to finalize the remaining construction.
Anticipated to be fully operational within the next two years, the Renaissance Dam currently holds more than 40 billion cubic meters of water.
As the negotiations progress, the stakeholders remain focused on achieving a mutually beneficial agreement that upholds the principles of equitable water usage in the Nile River basin.
