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ETHIOPIA

Abiy and Sisi spar over GERD in Washington through opposing lobbyists

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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. [...]

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. © STR/EFE/Newscom/MaxPPP

Addis Ababa has followed in Cairo's footsteps and hired a US lobbying heavyweight. Worried his Egyptian rival will take the lead in the Grand Renaissance dam debate and concerned about his declining reputation over the Tigray conflict, the Ethiopian prime minister is working institutions, diplomats, and the media. [...] (661 words)

Issue dated 24/02/2021 Reading time 3 minutes

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Energy Diplomacy

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ETHIOPIA
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Antony Blinken
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Fitsum Arega Gebrekidan
Joe Biden
Loren Aho
Motaz Zabran
Nadeam Elshami
Nancy Pelosi
Thomas H. Quinn
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Head of the Protestant church of Egypt, Andrea Zaki Stephanous © Khaled Elfiqi/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was received on 27 May 2021 in Djibouti by his counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh. © Ismaïl Omar Guelleh/Facebook

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. © Tiksa Negeri/Reuters

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Abiy purged his military high command to prepare for his war against the TPLF

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has for weeks been working on reconciliation with Eritrea in an effort to break the Cairo-Asmara-Abu Dhabi axis. It was fear of having to pay the price for this rapprochement that leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front - who have repeatedly clashed with Eritrea - rebelled against the Ethiopian federal army last week. [...]

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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. © Terje Pedersen/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

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ETHIOPIA
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
Abiy Ahmed Ali
African Union
Angela Merkel
Antony Blinken
Barnes & Thornburg
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Craig Burkhardt
Donald Trump
Ed Royce
Emmanuel Macron
Fitsum Arega Gebrekidan
Joe Biden
Loren Aho
Motaz Zabran
Nadeam Elshami
Nancy Pelosi
Thomas H. Quinn
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Abiy and Sisi spar over GERD in Washington through opposing lobbyists