Three-quarters completeded and already trapping rainwater falling into the Blue Nile catchment area, Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam has produced a hit record for one of the country’s most popular singers.
Egypt fumes downstream about Ethiopia starting to fill the dam before a comprehensive agreement by riparian countries and leaves the tripartite talks, Sudan is given pause about longer-term benefits but expresses misgivings about the safety of the multi-billion dollar project.
South Africa, as current chair of the African Union, insists that talks are back on track and urges the parties to stay at the table.
Ethiopian Premier Abiy Ahmed says he will be content with a guiding agreement with Sudan and Egypt on how much water has to go through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
He has solid domestic support for the project that will turn his country into Africa’s largest hydro-electrical generator and bring power to 60 000 Ethiopians currently subsisting without electricity.
Ethiopia’s most popular musician Teddy Afro has recorded a hit song entitled “How Can We Negotiate the Nile”.
The Ethiopian highlands provide more than 85% of the Nile water. That country was excluded from colonial era agreements giving Egypt and Sudan rights to that water.
This historical wrong cannot prevent Ethiopia using its natural resources, Ahmed maintains.
Downstream where 90 percent of Egypt’s 100-million people rely on the Nile water for survival, President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi, has burned up the hotline to his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, AU chair, and to his other international contacts to insist on harder language in the form of a binding agreement.
There has been a warning from Washington that development aid from the U.S to Ethiopia could be reduced if such an agreement on the Nile water is not reached.
This accord, says El Sisi, has to specify what Egypt can expect in drought years.
The water ministry says Ethiopia is not accepting its legal obligation, so Egypt has withdrawn from talks to have further consultations on regulations about the operation of the dam.
Cairo also wants a concrete legal mechanism for settling disputes.
“Egypt and Sudan demanded meetings be suspended for internal consultations on the Ethiopian proposal, which contravenes what was agreed upon during the African Union summit,” says the Egyptian ministry.
Sudan’s interim authority comprising military and civilian elements has been circumspect.
Their immediate problem is flooding, not drought.
A year after losing more than 60 people to floods the country is again experiencing an inundation caused by heavy rains that has destroyed thousands of homes and decimated crops around the capital Khartoum.
When fully operational the GERD will control that to some extent.
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia resumed trilateral negotiations on Monday. This follows the second extraordinary meeting on July 21 chaired by Ramaphosa
Today’s statement from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria says South Africa commends the Parties to the GERD for their commitment to finding an inclusive and durable agreement through dialogue and negotiation.
“An amicable outcome would be beneficial to all the countries of the Blue Nile River and would boost regional cooperation and integration,” it adds
Speaking on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor says: “As the Parties engage in this critical phase of the negotiations, we would like to urge them to continue to be guided by the spirit of Pan-African solidarity and fraternity, which has characterised the AU-led negotiations process on the GERD. In this regard, it is important that the Parties should display magnanimity and understanding of each other’s interests so as to move the process forward.”
She said: “South Africa encourages the Parties to remain engaged, and wishes to reassure them of the unremitting support and cooperation of the AU Bureau, and the entire membership of the AU.” It is expected that a report of the ongoing negotiations on outstanding technical and legal issues will be presented to President Ramaphosa in the next two weeks.