Ethiopia eager to restart negotiations with Egypt and Sudan over Blue Nile dam

Ethiopia, according to a senior Ethiopian official, is interested in beginning talks with Egypt and Sudan on the controversial Blue Nile dam, which will be Africa's largest hydroelectric power facility. Sileshi Bekele, Ethiopia's former dam negotiator who is now the country's ambassador to the United States, made the remark at a meeting with Mike Hammer, the new US special envoy to the Horn of Africa.

The ambassador emphasised "Ethiopia’s interest to resume the African Union-led trilateral negotiation over the GERD," or Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, according to a statement released by Ethiopia's foreign ministry on June 10.

Millions of Ethiopians living off the grid would benefit from the multibillion-dollar project, but Sudan and Egypt are concerned that it could diminish the amount of water they receive from the Nile River. Several rounds of talks between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan have failed in the past. Egypt is concerned that a rapid filling of the dam may diminish its share of Nile flows, and is seeking a legally enforceable agreement in the event of a conflict.

Ethiopia announced in February that one of the dam's units had started producing electricity. Earlier on June 10, Dina Mufti, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, told reporters that the dam's third filling is on track for this year. He added, "We have been saying since the start of the dam’s construction that tripartite talks will continue."

Egypt and Sudan seek a legally enforceable deal

Egypt, which relies heavily on Nile freshwater, has expressed concerns that the GERD will have a severe influence on the country's water supply. Egypt has also demanded that safeguards be put in place to protect downstream countries in the event of drought while the dam is being built. Egypt and Sudan desire a legally enforceable deal, whereas Ethiopia wants a non-binding agreement.

Both countries see the dam as a threat to their key water resources, while Ethiopia sees it as critical to its development and the doubling of its electricity production. Negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over the dam have been deadlocked for years, with the three parties eventually failing to reach an agreement. With a cost of more than four billion dollars, the disputed dam is Africa's largest hydropower project. The dam's construction began in 2011.

Image: AP