"I don't think the Egyptians came to Addis Abeba to reach at a deal," said Seleshi Bekele (PhD), minister of Water Resources, Irrigation & Electricity.


Negotiators from the three countries locked in dispute over GERD fail to reach an agreement despite four rounds of talk. The last one held in Addis Abeba for two days was no different, prompting Ethiopia's lead negotiator douting if the Egyptians in particular came in good faith to cut deals.

"I don't think the Egyptians came to Addis Abeba to reach at a deal," said Seleshi Bekele (PhD), minister of Water Resources, Irrigation & Electricity.


The fourth technical meeting over the operation and water feeling of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and drought mitigation between the water ministers of the three countries ended with no agreement after the Egyptians came with a new proposal. They want to see the years for water filling to take between 12 to 21 years.

The meeting was held after the technical meeting was suspended following an earlier meeting in Sudan, Khartoum.



The second technical meeting was held in Cario while the third was held in Khartoum in December last year. The deadlock came duento Egypt's proposal for the participation of third parties at the negotiations, a move Ethiopia had rejectedferociously. Egypt's President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) met in Sochi, Russia, at a sideline meeting during the Russia Africa Business Summit, where Ethiopia changed position in accepting the observation role of United States and the World Bank.

In Washington DC, the three parties agreed on holding four technical meetings at the level of water ministers with the hope of completing an agreement by January 15, 2020, in addition to holidng two more meetings in Washington DC to assess further progress.


The trio also agreed the Article 10 of the Declaration of Principles, where they can refer the matter to their heads of state, would be invoked if the water ministers fail to reach an agreement.



PUBLISHED ON Jan 09,2020 [ VOL 20 , NO 1028]


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