By RFIPosted on 07-10-2019Modified on 07-10-2019 at 15:15
Between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, relations have deteriorated over the Great Barrage of the Renaissance. Last week, another round of talks failed. The Egyptians have blamed the Ethiopians, who accuse their neighbor.
Rhetoric hardens. Ethiopia believes that Egypt's proposals are one-sided, circumventing procedures and disrupting dialogue. Addis Ababa even accuses Cairo of having a predetermined plan to defeat the talks. Faced with the blockage, the Egyptians demanded an external mediation. An option provided by the 2015 agreement signed between the three countries. Without specifying who could be chosen, Egypt said it was " looking forward to the United States playing an active role ".
But last Thursday, before the talks began, Washington had expressed support for the dialogue, " with a view to reaching a viable and mutually beneficial agreement on the filling and management of the dam ." Some observers had seen a favorable declaration in Cairo, a great ally of the Americans.
" Why would we need new partners? Do you want the negotiations to go on indefinitely? ", Retorted Seleshi Bekele. The head of Ethiopian diplomacy added that mediation was premature and other mechanisms existed.
Addis Ababa proposes a filling of the reservoir in 4 to 7 years , according to the hydrology, and promises to take into account its neighbors. But as a sign of its firmness, Ethiopia has also announced that it will strengthen its efforts to develop its water resources to meet the needs of its people.
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