An agreement on Ethiopia’s controversial Nile River dam is possible, the UN said Thursday, urging “trust, transparency and open engagement” as Egypt accused Addis Ababa of threatening its existence. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has drawn the ire of Egypt and Sudan since construction began in 2011, with both fearing for their water resources. “An agreement on the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) can be reached,” Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), told a UN Security Council meeting. His Sudanese counterpart, Mariam al-Sadeq Al Mahdi, said Khartoum was “asking for help” from the Security Council to find a legally binding agreement. Silence would be interpreted as a green light for Ethiopia to continue filling the reservoir, she warned.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 09, 2021 09:45 UTC