On Sunday, Egypt announced the commencement of preparations for negotiations with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), contradicting reports that the talks had already begun. The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Swelam, stressed during an interview on the “ON” Egyptian channel that “these negotiations have a defined time limit and cannot be extended as was the case in the past”.
Swelam commented on the fourth filling of the GERD, stating: “We must ensure no significant harm occurs during the water year 2023-2024, as any filling of the GERD results in a reduction of the water flowing into the Nile to Egypt and Sudan.” He emphasized that “Egypt is not against the development process in Ethiopia, nor the Renaissance Dam, provided that it does not cause harm to Egypt.”
Recently, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to start “urgent” negotiations to agree on filling the GERD and its operation rules. The Egyptian presidency stated in a release that Sisi and Ahmed had discussed ways to overcome the current stalemate in the GERD-related negotiations.
The statement added that both leaders agreed to commence urgent negotiations to conclude the agreement between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan on filling the GERD and its operation rules. Both sides have agreed to make all necessary efforts to reach an agreement within four months.
It is worth noting that Egypt and Ethiopia have been at odds for years over the construction of the GERD. Both Khartoum and Cairo have repeatedly asked Ethiopia to halt filling the dam’s reservoir, awaiting a binding trilateral agreement on operating what is considered the largest dam in Africa.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 97% of its water needs, says the Renaissance Dam poses an “existential threat.”
