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As Nile Dam Tensions Rise, 'Miscalculation' Could Lead to Conflict

Salem Solomon

   WASHINGTON - Ethiopia is moving forward with a plan to fill a massive
   reservoir behind a new dam on the Nile River and Egypt is calling the
   move a threat to peace and security in the region and is asking the
   United Nations to step in.
   Egypt relies on the Nile for roughly 90 percent of its fresh water and
   is concerned that the dam and its reservoir, with a capacity of 74
   billion cubic meters, will diminish its water supply. Egypt has warned
   that it could lose about 22 percent of its water flow and see thousands
   of acres of farmland become unusable.
   Ethiopia has pledged to fill the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)
   over four to seven years. It plans to begin filling the dam in July,
   which has [1]prompted diplomatic pressure from the Egyptians to stop
   the process.
   "What Egypt is trying to do is to rally as much international support
   for its position, including most prominently and most obviously from
   the U.S. government," says William Davison, International Crisis
   Group's senior analyst for Ethiopia, in an interview with VOA. "Egypt
   seems to think that that will either get Ethiopia to pause its filling
   plans or get Ethiopia to sign an agreement which it otherwise was not
   willing to do."
   Tensions among the Nile River countries are also reverberating in the
   U.S. where opinion is divided.
   Last week, the White House's National Security Council urged Ethiopia
   to strike a "fair deal" before filling the dam. "Technical issues have
   been resolved -- time to get the GERD deal done before filling it with
   Nile River water!" the NSC said in a tweet.

     257 million people in east [2]#Africa are relying on [3]#Ethiopia to
     show strong leadership, which means striking a fair deal. Technical
     issues have been resolved -- time to get the GERD deal done before
     filling it with Nile River water!
     -- NSC (@WHNSC) [4]June 17, 2020

   The U.S. Department of the Treasury has been a mediator in talks
   between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, but the talks have [5]failed to
   produce a deal. Recent disagreements have centered on whether the
   agreement would be legally binding. Sudan and Egypt want it to have the
   force of law; Ethiopia does not.
   But some U.S. lawmakers are touting the importance of the dam.
   The Congressional Black Caucus issued a statement saying the U.S.
   should play an "impartial role" in the negotiations. "The GERD project
   will have a positive impact on all countries involved and will help
   combat food security and lack of electricity and power, supply more
   fresh water to more people, and stabilize and grow the economies in the
   region," the caucus said in the [6]statement.
   U.N. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric is urging the countries to settle
   their differences at the negotiating table.
   "We urge Egypt, we urge Ethiopia and Sudan to work together to
   intensify efforts to peacefully resolve outstanding differences,"
   Dujarric said during a press briefing on June 22.
   "We're encouraging progress towards an amicable agreement," he said.

References

   1. https://www.voanews.com/africa/negotiators-ethiopia-sudan-and-egypt-optimistic-nile-dam-standoff
   2. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Africa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ethiopia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   4. https://twitter.com/WHNSC/status/1273262046688280578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   5. https://www.voanews.com/usa/despite-trumps-urging-egypt-ethiopia-still-deadlocked-nile-dam
   6. https://cbc.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2200

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