President Donald Trump offered to resume US mediation of a long-running water dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia as he seeks to avert conflict over a dam that could significantly alter the Nile River.
“I believe that with the right technical expertise, fair and transparent negotiations, and a strong United States role in monitoring and coordinating between parties, we can achieve a lasting agreement for all Nile Basin Nations,” Trump said in a letter to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi posted on social media on Friday.
Trump said a “successful approach” would guarantee predictable water releases for Egypt while allowing Ethiopia to generate “substantial amounts of electricity.”
The conflict between the two nations has centered on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a project that is expected to dramatically increase Ethiopia's electricity capacity. But in Cairo, many see the dam — which officially opened last year — as a threat to Egypt's water supply, which has long relied on the Nile's waters. Sudan, which lies between the two countries, has also expressed concern.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he “ended” the dispute, counting it among the conflicts he's declared resolved as he lobbies for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The reality is more complicated. The argument has never erupted into military conflict. A bid during Trump's first term to reach a resolution was never completed and diplomacy during the Biden administration also failed to yield a permanent agreement.
In September, Trump acknowledged the issue at an American Cornerstone Institute dinner in Virginia.
“They built a little dam in Ethiopia that's like the largest dam in the world. And it affects the water going to the Nile. Would you say that's a problem? I would say that's a big problem,” Trump said.
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