Nile dam talks resume between Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan

by AFP Staff Writers
Cairo (AFP) Aug 27, 2023
Egypt announced on Sunday that negotiations had resumed over Ethiopia's controversial mega-dam, after agreeing last month to reach a deal following years of tensions between the two countries.

For years at loggerheads over the issue, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had agreed in July to finalise a deal within four months.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of a summit of African leaders from war-torn Sudan's neighbours seeking to end the conflict that has raged there for over four months.

"A new round of negotiations on the Renaissance Dam began Sunday morning in Cairo, with the participation of the Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian delegations," the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced.

The massive $4.2-billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been at the centre of a regional dispute ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011, with Egypt fearing it will slash its share of Nile water.

The current talks aim to reach an agreement that "takes into account the interests and concerns of the three countries," Egyptian irrigation minister Hani Sewilam said, urging "an end to unilateral measures".

Ethiopia announced in June it was launching the fourth filling of the reservoir, despite constant objections by Egypt and at times Sudan -- both downstream of Ethiopia on the Nile.

Protracted negotiations over the filling and operation of the dam since 2011 have thus far failed to bring about an agreement between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbours.

Egypt has long viewed the dam as an existential threat, as it relies on the Nile for 97 percent of its water needs.

The dam is nonetheless central to Ethiopia's development plans, and in February 2022 Addis Ababa announced that it had begun generating hydroelectric energy for the first time.

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Artificial Intelligence Analysis

Defense Industry Analyst: 8

Stock Market Analyst: 6

General Industry Analyst: 7

Analyst

Summary

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Last Sunday saw the resumption of negotiations over Ethiopia’s controversial mega dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), after an agreement to reach a deal was reached in July between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The GERD has been the center of a regional dispute since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011, with Egypt fearing it would reduce its share of Nile water. The new round of negotiations seeks to take into account the interests and concerns of all three countries, and will hopefully lead to an agreement to fill and operate the dam. The dispute between the countries has been ongoing for nearly 25 years, and its resolution could have major implications for the defense, stock market, and general industries. It is important to consider the potential economic, political, and social implications of the resolution of this long-running dispute, and to monitor how it influences the development of the three countries.

Investigative

Question:

• 1. What benefits will Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan have in the event of a successful resolution of the GERD dispute?

• 2. What are the differences between the current negotiations and those of the past 25 years?

• 3.

What impact could the resolution of the dispute have on the defense, stock market, and general industries in the region?

4. What other factors have influenced the course of the negotiations?

5. How have the political, economic, and social landscapes of the three countries been affected by the dispute?

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