It’s yet another deadlock in the discussions between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, as the three nations repeatedly fail to agree on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Egypt and Sudan in the latest deadlock have rejected Ethiopia’s offer for all three countries to share data on the dam before the giant of the Horn of Africa goes on to fill the dam from the Nile.
Ethiopia has pegged its hopes of power generation and economic breakthrough on the 70bn cubic metres dam that has become a subject of debate. Egypt has rejected Ethiopia’s plans to fill the dam from the Blue Nile, because it threatens its farming and water sources and farmers have begun wincing.
Sudan has also rejected the filling of the dam citing it will be a challenge to its water sources.
In a statement by the Sudanese Irrigation Ministry, Sudan believes that information exchange is a necessary procedure, but that the Ethiopian offer to do so in the manner indicated in their letter implies suspicious selectivity in dealing with what has been agreed upon.
Egypt, on its part, is looking to increase its water availability ahead of the rains and Ethiopia’s second fill through the Aswan Dam, but is concerned by drought management when the lands get dry.
Sudan has also shifted attention to its 600 million cubic meters (785 million cubic yards) of water at its Jabal Awliya reservoir to enable the continued operation of the pump stations on the White Nile and the Nile river. This is believed to help agricultural returns and yields in the country.