President William Ruto has made a call for a new conversation to be held between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan so that the long-standing issue with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) could be solved.
During the groundbreaking ceremony of the giant hydroelectric project, which was called the biggest in Africa with a total capacity of 6450 megawatts, Ruto said that an honest conversation would open a path to a fair deal that would ensure the welfare of all the three countries.
“Only through conversation and mutual understanding can the issues be solved. With good faith, such talks will guarantee that this venture becomes a vehicle of common prosperity instead of a source of dispute,” said Ruto.
GERD is a large hydroelectric project that was initiated 11 years ago by the late Meles Zenawi and has been followed by the administrations of Hailemariam Desalegn and Abiy Ahmed.
Egypt has vigorously opposed the building of the dam, specifying that Ethiopia is violating agreements from the colonial period that govern the usage of the Nile River. Cario’s stance is that the dam is a threat to their water security by limiting the amount of water they receive, which is necessary for domestic use.
Sudan is also disappointed and wants Ethiopia to clearly state how it intends to manage the water in the dam and how much would be distributed.
Despite the hard feelings, Ruto underlined the fact that this venture opens up windows of opportunity for the region, including Kenya, especially in the area of agriculture and energy sector.
It is important to mention that the project has been a great source of political tension in the region for the last 11 years since it was initially proposed by former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and has since then been developed under the leadership of Hailemariam Desalegn and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The GERD is the cause of one of the most severe water conflicts in the African continent which is going on across national boundaries and there is now a great need for a fresh negotiation that would draft a new cooperative bond to walk the future way together.