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ETHIOPIA

Abiy Ahmed Ali hands stalled GERD talks over to AU diplomats

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“The Renaissance Dam – a national symbol but a regional quandary”

ETHIOPIA

The Renaissance Dam – a national symbol but a regional quandary

Although the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is due to come into service in 2021, no agreement has yet been found by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan regarding their respective rights to the waters of the River Nile. For nearly a decade, the great Ethiopian dam has been a source of tension between the three countries. Ethiopia sees the €4bn project, which has been entirely financed by Ethiopian taxpayers but has not yet been completed, as a means of making itself self-sufficient in energy and affirming its power in the region.

The site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. © Reuters

With the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to start this month, Egyptian and Ethiopian diplomats are urging the African Union to help them calm the crisis this mega project has sparked. [...] (325 words)

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Energy Diplomacy

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ETHIOPIA
Abdalla Hamdok
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
Abiy Ahmed Ali
African Union
Cyril Ramaphosa
European Union
Moussa Faki Mahamat
Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig
Osama Abdel Khalek
Sameh Shoukry
Taye Atske Selassie
Tesfaye Yilma
UN Security Council

Five candidates in race to lead UNITAMS in Khartoum

Five diplomats are discreetly jockeying for the top job at UNITAMS. Sudan's prime minister would like a European to take the post, but Russia and China disagree.

ETHIOPIA Infrastructure Diplomacy 28/10/2020

Abiy lobbies for South Africa to retain lead on GERD negotiations

Cyril Ramaphosa will hand over the rotating presidency of the African Union to the DRC's Félix Tshisekedi in January. Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed Ali is hoping Ramaphosa will remain in charge of mediating the GERD negotiations.

Ethiopa's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.

EGYPT ETHIOPIA Diplomacy 08/10/2020

Amid standoff with Addis over GERD mega-dam, Cairo denies allegations of supporting Oromo guerillas

President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has deployed his ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek to protect himself against any accusations of partiality towards the Oromo guerilla movement that is waging an armed campaign against the Ethiopian government.

EGYPT KENYA Energy Diplomacy 06/10/2020

GERD: Cairo jumps on Kenyatta stopover to discuss Ethiopian dam

Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Atti took advantage of President Kenyatta's refuelling stops on the way to Paris to talk about the GERD dispute with Ethiopia.

Uhuru Kenyatta made two short and discreet stops in Cairo.

EGYPT ETHIOPIA SUDAN Energy Diplomacy 25/09/2020

Renaissance Dam: sharing of GERD waters confounds African Union

The pan-African organization has been struggling for a month to resolve the clash between Cairo and Addis Ababa. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi does not want to see Ethiopia have free rein in the management of Nile dam, but Abiy Ahmed Ali is refusing to accept any outside interference.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) seen by satellite.

ETHIOPIA Energy Diplomacy 04/09/2020

Addis Ababa bolsters diplomatic route in attempt to rekindle dialogue with Cairo and Washington

The heated Nile dam dispute is still top of Gedu Andargachew's list of concerns. The Ethiopian foreign minister took advantage of the presence of his envoys in Addis to add muscle to his diplomatic blitz.

Ethiopian foreign affairs minister Gedu Andargachew.

ETHIOPIA Politics 21/07/2020

GERD: Craig Burkhardt picked to get Abiy back in Trump's good books Free

With negotiations with Egypt on the Ethiopian mega-dam GERD at a gridlock, Abiy Ahmed Ali is hoping to win over Cairo's ally, Donald Trump.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Spotlight

AFRICA Diplomacy 23/06/2020

African Union centre stage in Cairo-Abuja scuffle for top WTO post

Nigeria and Egypt are busy rallying support for their bid to head the World Trade Organization while the African Union should announce its decision by the end of June.

ETHIOPIA Energy Diplomacy 18/06/2020

Abiy Ahmed Ali lobbies behind the scenes to win support for early filling of Renaissance Dam reservoir

With negotiations on the huge dam on the Nile about to resume, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew is taking advantage of discussions on Ethiopia's much praised handling of the Covid-19 pandemic to convince potential allies of the well-foundedness of its position on the dam project.

EU Ambassador to Addis Ababa Johan Borgstam and Ethiopian Minister for Foreign Affairs Gedu Andargachew.

ETHIOPIA Diplomacy 10/06/2020

Abiy Ahmed Ali's diplomats await assignment as tensions over GERD escalate

Ethiopia's top diplomatic postings in Europe and Africa lie empty at a time they are desperately needed to help ease the mounting pressure over the future Nile River dam.

ETHIOPIA Politics 15/05/2020

Abiy Ahmed Ali harnesses technical expertise to boost chances of general election victory

The Ethiopian prime minister is leaving nothing to chance as he plots his path to victory in the general election, which should take place at some point later this year. He is relying in particular on allies with a sound technical grasp of Ethiopia's electoral system and its political landscape.

Set up email notifications for these topics

ETHIOPIA
Abdalla Hamdok
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
Abiy Ahmed Ali
African Union
Cyril Ramaphosa
European Union
Moussa Faki Mahamat
Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig
Osama Abdel Khalek
Sameh Shoukry
Taye Atske Selassie
Tesfaye Yilma
UN Security Council

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Abiy Ahmed Ali hands stalled GERD talks over to AU diplomats