Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan Agree On Controversial Dam To End Water Dispute

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan want a deal next month on filling Ethiopia’s giant new hydroelectric dam to end a decade-long dispute over water supplies. Their accord on the Blue Nile river dam announced over the weekend followed mediation by the African Union (AU), the cooperative body of 55 member states on the African continent.

Tense negotiations in recent years left the two nations and neighboring Sudan without a deal on how Ethiopia would operate the dam and fill its reservoir. Egypt feared the project could threaten its already scarce water supplies from the Nile river.

The country depends on the Nile for more than 90 percent of its water supplies and already faces high water stress. Egypt feared the unregulated filling of Ethiopia’s Blue Nile dam could have a devastating impact on its booming population of 100 million.

Sudan, which also depends on the Nile for water, played a crucial role in bringing the two sides together after the collapse of U.S.-mediated talks in February.

This month, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew warned that his country could begin filling the dam’s reservoir unilaterally. He made the threat after another round of talks with Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an accord governing how the water project would work.

But following an AU video conference chaired by South Africa late Friday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi reportedly said: “All parties” pledged not to take “any unilateral action” by filling the dam without a final agreement.

However, Ethiopia’s water minister, Seleshi Bekele, stressed that there was “consensus” to finalize a deal within two to three weeks.

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