Cairo: Renaissance Dam talks almost stalled

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia, Sept. 26, 2019. (Reuters)

• Minister: ‘Egypt won’t wait for severe damage to occur, and whoever causes the damage bears the responsibility’
• Ethiopia urged to prove its seriousness in reaching fair agreement

CAIRO: Negotiations over Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam are almost at a standstill, said Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Aty.

Cairo demands a clear mechanism, a specific timeframe and international observers with regard to reaching a fair agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, he added, stressing the need for Ethiopia to prove its seriousness.

“Egypt won’t wait for severe damage to occur, and whoever causes the damage bears the responsibility,” he said.

Abdel-Aty added that Egypt is ready to deal with any emergency regarding the water sector, and that it believes in development for itself and all Nile Basin countries. State agencies are coordinating to deal with the issue of the dam, he said.

Battle for the Nile

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