Yet another round of talks over a controversial mega dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile River has ended unsuccesfully.
The meeting, held in Ethiopian capital city Addis Ababa for two days, brought together representatives from Ethiopia and two downstream countries – Egypt and Sudan.
Egypt and Sudan have long expressed concerns that the dam could threaten their essential water supplies.
Speaking on the failure of the latest talks, Egypt accused Ethiopia of a “persistent refusal” to accept compromises on technical and legal issues.
Cairo also insisted that it reserves the rights “to defend its water and national security” in accordance with international laws.
A statement by Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said Egypt “maintained a colonial-era mentality and erected roadblocks against efforts towards convergence.”
The $4.6bn (£3.6bn) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) could be one Africa’s largest hydroelectric plants if completed, with a capacity to generate 5000 megawatts of electricity. Addis Ababa hopes the dam will assist in its drive to provide power for millions of households.
Construction of the GERD began in 2011 and multiple negotiations since have failed to produce a binding agreement.
In July Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged to finalise a deal.
Subsequently four rounds of talks were held in Cairo and in Addis Ababa – none of them brought an agreement.
The dam is nearing completion and Ethiopia started generating electricity last year but it’s not fully operational.
