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The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Trump says Egypt's Nile water dispute with Ethiopia to be solved 'very quickly'
US President Donald Trump has vowed to work towards a quick resolution of Egypt 's water dispute with Ethiopia, which has completed building a Nile dam that Cairo claims could rob it of its vital share of the river's water. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was quick to welcome Mr Trump's comments, heaping lavish praise on the American leader as a man of peace. Ethiopia has said construction of the dam is complete, and invited Egypt and Sudan, downstream nations that have vigorously opposed the project, to the inauguration ceremony. Construction on the hydroelectric $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) began in 2011. It sits on the Blue Nile, by far the larger of the river's two tributaries, near the Sudanese border. 'I think if I am Egypt, I want to have water in the Nile and we are working on that,' Mr Trump said at a meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. He said the dam was 'closing up water going to the Nile" and called the river 'a very important source of income and life ... to take that away is pretty incredible. But we think we are going to have that solved very quickly.' Mr El Sisi, Egypt's President of 11 years, responded on Tuesday to the US President's comments, writing on Facebook that his country appreciated them as proof of Washington's commitment under Mr Trump's leadership to end wars and settle disputes across the world. He specifically mentioned the Russia - Ukraine war, Africa and Gaza. "Egypt values the importance President Trump attaches to reaching a fair agreement that safeguards the interests of everyone linked to the Ethiopian dam and his assertion of what the Nile represents to Egypt as a source of life," he said. "Egypt renews its support for President Trump as he endeavours to install peace, stability and security in the nations of the region and the world." Mr El Sisi's praise of the American leader comes at a time when relations between the two allied nations are fraught over the Gaza war, which has been raging in the coastal enclave over Egypt's eastern border since October 2023. Besides his unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egypt is particularly alarmed by Mr Trump's proposal to resettle Gaza's 2.3 million residents in its Sinai Peninsula, as well as in Jordan. It says that if implemented, his vision for a Gaza turned into a glitzy beach resort without its native inhabitants poses a serious threat to Egyptian security. In protest over the Gaza plan first suggested by Mr Trump in January, Mr El Sisi has indefinitely put off a visit to Washington that had been scheduled for February, sources told The National at the time. For his part, Mr Trump did not include Egypt in his Middle East tour in May. Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, with about 107 million people, is alarmed that the Gerd project could reduce its share of the river, which provides almost all of its freshwater needs. It has called the dam an existential threat, arguing that any drop in its water share would wipe out millions of farming jobs and ruin Egypt's delicate food balance. Sudan, Egypt's war-torn southern neighbour, is concerned that any structural damage to the dam would leave large parts of the country underwater. It has also complained that Ethiopia is not sharing data on the dam's operation. Egypt and Sudan had engaged in years of fruitless negotiations with Ethiopia to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. Their criticism of Addis Ababa over the dam, however, has slackened off in the past two years, with Sudan mired in a devastating civil war since April 2023. Egypt, on the other hand, has been unaffected by the scheduled annual fillings of the dam that ended last summer, thanks to plentiful rain on the Ethiopian highlands that have kept the Nile bountiful. With the reservoir at full capacity, Egypt's main concern is how much water Addis Ababa will allow to flow downstream during times of severe drought. Ethiopia has maintained the dam does not pose a threat to anyone and is vital for its own development. It has said electricity generated by the dam would be available to neighbouring nations, including Sudan. The dam began producing power in 2022 and is expected ultimately to create more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity – double Ethiopia's current output and enough to make the East African nation of 120 million people a net energy exporter.
The National
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Ethiopia says building of controversial Nile dam that began in 2011 now complete
Construction of Ethiopia 's controversial Nile dam is complete and Egypt and Sudan, downstream nations that vigorously opposed it, are invited to its inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday. Egypt and Sudan have opposed the hydroelectric $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) since construction began 14 years ago. Egypt is concerned that the dam on the Blue Nile, the larger tributary, could reduce its share of the river's water which provides almost all of its freshwater needs. It has called the dam an existential threat, arguing that any drop in its water share will wipe out millions of farming jobs and ruin its delicate food balance. Sudan is alarmed that any structural damage to the dam would leave large parts of the country underwater. It has also complained that Addis Ababa was not sharing data on the dam's operation. The two countries, which have yet to comment on Mr Abiy's announcement, have engaged in years of fruitless negotiations with Ethiopia to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. Their criticism of Addis Ababa over the Gerd has been toned down in the past two years. Sudan has been mired in a devastating civil war since April 2023, while Egypt has not felt any impact from the filling of the dam, thanks to plentiful rain on the Ethiopian highlands that have kept the Nile bountiful. With the reservoir now filled to capacity, Egypt's main concern now is how much water Addis Ababa will allow to flow downstream during severe drought. "The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is now complete and we are preparing for its official inauguration," Mr Abiy wrote on X on Thursday. "While there are those who believe it should be disrupted before that moment, we reaffirm our commitment: the dam will be inaugurated. To our neighbours downstream – Egypt and Sudan – our message is clear: the Renaissance Dam is not a threat but a shared opportunity." Ethiopia has maintained that the dam does not pose a threat to anyone and is vital for its own development. It has said electricity generated by the dam would be available to neighbouring nations, including Sudan. The dam, which stands near the Sudan border, began producing power in 2022 and is expected ultimately to create more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity – double Ethiopia's current output and enough to make the East African nation of 120 million people a net energy exporter. Mr Abiy said the dam was a symbol of regional co-operation and mutual benefit. "Ethiopia remains committed to ensuring that our growth does not come at the expense of our Egyptian and Sudanese brothers and sisters," he said. "Ethiopia remains ready and willing to engage constructively with downstream countries. We extend an open invitation to the governments and peoples of Egypt, Sudan and all Nile Basin nations to join us in celebrating this historic milestone – Ethiopia's Renaissance – in September."
