Egypt Welcomes Trump Proposal to Mediate Dispute with Ethiopia
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi posted on X Saturday that he had acknowledged correspondence from Trump, restating Egypt's anxieties about water security linked to the GERD.
Sisi expressed appreciation for "Trump's attention to the central importance of the Nile River issue for Egypt." Cairo maintains dedication to "serious and constructive cooperation with the Nile Basin countries, based on the principles of international law, in a manner that achieves shared interests without causing harm to any party," he stated.
The GERD, formally launched by Ethiopia last September, stands as Africa's most massive hydroelectric facility. Ethiopian officials have stressed the $5 billion infrastructure is vital for boosting electricity production in Africa's second-largest nation by population, where approximately half of residents lack dependable power access. Addis Ababa maintains the dam will not damage downstream nations.
Yet Egypt, which depends on the Nile for roughly 90% of its freshwater resources, warns that unrestricted filling and operation of the dam could drastically diminish water availability, particularly during drought periods. Sudan has similarly expressed alarm regarding potential threats to its own dams and irrigation infrastructure if water discharge lacks proper coordination.
Trump announced Friday that Washington stands prepared to restart dialogue between Egypt and Ethiopia "to responsibly resolve the question" of Nile River water distribution "once and for all."
"The United States affirms that no state in this region should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile, and disadvantage its neighbors in the process," he declared in an official statement.
Sudan's army commander and acting leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, responded that renewed Washington involvement could facilitate an equitable resolution following years of deadlocked negotiations.
The disagreement has persisted for over a decade. US-facilitated negotiations during Trump's initial term collapsed in 2020 after Ethiopia declined to sign a proposed agreement, objecting to critical clauses governing the dam's operation and reservoir filling. At that time, Kenya-based Horn of Africa security analyst Rashid Abdi argued US mediation over the dam had only intensified friction between Egypt and Ethiopia.
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