Ethiopia : Nile Dam Talks End In Stalemate

Second round of talks on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have broken up without an agreement. Late in the night of Sunday, September 24, 2023, the different delegates after holding a series of negotiations failed to reach a common agreement that would enable them properly manage the mega dam constructed on the main tributary of the Blue Nile. Speaking at the end of the talks, Ethiopia’s chief negotiator, Seleshi Bekele, said the countries had “constructive ideas on various outstanding issues” and remains committed to continuing the negotiations in good faith.
In a statement released on Sunday by Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, they said, “The latest round of discussions concerning the $4.2bn dam concluded without making any significant progress. Ethiopia, the statement noted, still opposed compromise solutions or internationally agreed-upon technical arrangements that could address its specific interests related to the GERD without encroaching upon the rights and interests of the downstream nations. The statement added that the Egyptian negotiating team remains committed to constructive negotiations with clearly defined objectives.
Talks have rumbled on for years over the controversial $4.2 billion project, whose construction started in 2011. It is expected to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity double Ethiopia's current output and enough to make it a net energy exporter. Ethiopia sees the dam as essential to its development but downstream Egypt fears it will restrict its share of the Nile water, critical for its huge population of 100 million peopl...