Ethiopia responds to dam concerns raised by Egyptian president
On 14th October, the Ethiopian government issued a response to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s comments on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as reported by Middle East Monitor.
During Cairo Water Week, an initiative that aims to positively impact water sustainability, the Egyptian president reportedly made comments about the potential negative implications of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam.
The dam, aimed at doubling national energy production across Ethiopia, is located along the Nile River, which Ethiopia shares with neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Sudan. This has led to concerns from countries downstream, who shared fears that the hydroelectric power plant will lead to shortages in water and power supply in their own nations.
Last month, in September, the dam was accused of causing severe flooding across Sudan; however, Ethiopia responded by arguing that the dam actually helped prevent the severity of these floods.
Initially, US President Trump was involved in resolving geopolitical tension between Egypt and Ethiopia surrounding the dam, but the solutions he proposed were ultimately rejected by Egypt.
Although the Egyptian president’s comments were not shared, they are understood to be critical of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam. The Ethiopian government is reported to be closely monitoring El-Sisi’s comments.
They went on to argue that because the Nile River originates in Ethiopia, the country has non-negotiable rights to use water resources from Nile as it pleases under international law. Ethiopia’s government added that the dam exists to aid the development of its country without negatively affecting the water resources of other countries.
Moreover, the nation’s officials highlighted its history of having water resources exploited by other countries for over a century, assertively rejecting what had been referred to as “colonial-era agreements” surrounding the dam.
El-Sisi’s comments contribute to a building dispute between the Ethiopian and Egyptian government’s concerning water management and fair distribution of resources across the Nile. The Egyptian president has accused Ethiopia of engaging in unilateral actions, while Ethiopia insists they have maintained full transparency and co-operation with downstream countries related to the building of the Dam.
Middle East Monitor, Maghrebi.org
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