Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Trump Proposes Mediation in Nile Dam Dispute


(MENAFN) Egyptian and Sudanese leaders embraced US President Donald Trump's weekend proposal to arbitrate a protracted water rights conflict centered on Ethiopia's massive hydroelectric infrastructure project that has inflamed regional tensions for over a decade.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi publicly acknowledged Trump's intervention through the social media platform X, characterizing the Nile as "the lifeline of the Egyptian people."

Sisi stated Egypt "affirmed its commitment to serious and constructive cooperation with the Nile Basin countries, based on the principles of international law, in a manner that achieves shared interests without causing harm to any party."

The Egyptian leader elaborated: "In this context, I have addressed a letter to President Trump conveying my thanks and appreciation, reaffirming Egypt's position and our related concerns regarding Egyptian water security, underscoring Egypt's support for his efforts, and expressing my aspiration to continue working closely with him during the coming phase."

Sudan's Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a parallel endorsement via X, declaring Khartoum welcomes and supports Trump's initiative and mediation offer, emphasizing it aims to "achieve sustainable and satisfactory solutions that preserve the rights of all parties and contribute to regional security and stability."

Trump announced Friday that Washington stands prepared to resurrect diplomatic negotiations between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the contentious dispute.

The 6,650-kilometer (4,132-mile) Nile flows through 11 nations: Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt.

Ethiopia formally commissioned the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile on September 9 following 14 years of construction—a development fiercely contested by downstream countries Egypt and Sudan regarding reservoir filling protocols and operational procedures.

Both Cairo and Khartoum have consistently demanded Ethiopia enter a legally binding trilateral accord governing the dam's filling schedule and management.

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