While Egypt views the GERD as an existential threat to its water share from the Nile River, Ethiopia sees the dam as crucial for its development process. To that end, the Nile River constitutes the only source of fresh water for Egypt, which is why the North-East African country wants Addis Ababa to reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. Meanwhile, Ethiopia denies any harm to the water share of Egypt and Sudan, two downstream countries. But years of negotiations have so far failed to make any breakthrough in reaching an agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD. The decision to initiate expedited negotiations marks a significant development in resolving the dispute, which has been ongoing since construction on the GERD began in 2011.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 14, 2023 21:01 UTC