Egypt and Sudan have expressed support for a US proposal to restart negotiations with Ethiopia over the long-running dispute surrounding Nile River water sharing.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said the United States was prepared to resume mediation efforts to settle the issue “once and for all,” reviving talks that collapsed in 2020.
Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in September. The $5 billion project, the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa, is expected to double the country’s electricity generation and play a central role in its economic development plans.
However, Egypt argues that the dam could significantly reduce the flow of the Nile, threatening its agriculture, water security, and other vital sectors. Sudan, meanwhile, has raised concerns about the potential impact of the dam’s reservoir filling on the safety and operation of its own downstream dams.
At the heart of the dispute are disagreements over the pace of filling the dam’s reservoir, the volume of water Ethiopia would release during periods of drought, and the mechanisms for resolving future disputes.
Egypt and Sudan are seeking a legally binding agreement governing the filling and operation of the dam. Ethiopia has so far rejected that demand, saying it will only commit to non-binding guidelines.
