Egypt says latest round of talks over Ethiopia dam fail

Egypts Foreign Ministry said Tuesday the latest round of talks over Ethiopias massive dam project failed to make progress after Addis Abba rejected a Sudanese proposal to include international mediators. Hafez said Ethiopia also rejected an Egyptian proposal to resume the talks with the Africa Union playing a mediating role, as it has played in previous talks.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday the latest round of talks over Ethiopia's massive dam project failed to make progress after Addis Abba rejected a Sudanese proposal to include international mediators. Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said Ethiopia rejected the United States, European Union, the United Nations and the African Union playing a role in overseeing the negotiations. Ethiopian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hafez said Ethiopia also rejected an Egyptian proposal to resume the talks with the Africa Union playing a mediating role, as it has played in previous talks. The negotiations, held in Kinshasa, Congo, concluded Tuesday without a deal being reached, according a communique released after they finished. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, the current African Union chair, said “the Nile River must remain a fertile source of life and shared prosperity.” The yearslong dispute over a giant dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River's main tributary centers on the speed at which a planned reservoir is filled behind the dam. Also in question is the method of its annual replenishment, and how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs. Another point of difference is how the three countries would settle any future disputes.

Egypt and Sudan want a legally binding agreement on the dam's filling and operation, while Ethiopia insists on guidelines.

The talks in Kinshasa came a few days after Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said his country's share of Nile River waters were “untouchable” — a stark warning apparently to Ethiopia, which is preparing for another stage of the dam's filling later this year.

Egypt is a mostly desert country that depends on the Nile for almost all of its water needs. It fears that a quick fill would drastically reduce the Nile's flow, with potentially severe effects on its agriculture and other sectors.

Ethiopia says the USD 5 billion dam is essential, arguing that the vast majority of its population lacks electricity. The dam will generate over 6,400 megawatts of electricity, a massive boost to the country's current production of 4,000 megawatts.