Ethiopia-Egypt Dam Agreement Remains Elusive Despite Renewed Talks

As Addis Ababa prepares to host the latest round of renewed talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in December, a final agreement on the contentious mega-project remains elusive.

In a sign of a potential breakthrough in July, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pledged to “expedite” negotiations and finalize an agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD “within four months.” But three rounds of fruitless talks later, and with Ethiopia pressing ahead with the filling of the dam’s reservoir without an agreement, the riparian states are once again hitting a dead end (MEES, 11 October 2019). (CONTINUED - 1581 WORDS)