Discussions surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) hit a brick wall as Ethiopia refuses to consider Egypt’s proposal regarding the operation of the dam, according to the spokesperson of the Egyptian Ministry of Water Recourses and Irrigation. A new round of negotiations kicked off last Friday in Khartoum with ministries from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to determine the fate of their water supply. Ethiopia’s proposal is considered “a setback to all the principles previously agreed upon for the filling and operation of the dam,” the ministry’s spokesperson emphasized, adding that “the proposal didn’t include the minimum annual drainage of the dam, or ways to deal with the cases of drought and prolonged drought that might occur in the future.” Ethiopia refuses to discuss the rules under which it can operate the dam limiting the conversation to the filling phase of the dam and the rules of operation during the filling phase only. According to Article 5 of the Declaration of Principles Agreement, Ethiopia is violating the agreement signed in 2015 by the three Nile Basin countries. In return, Egypt called an international mediator to help reach a fair agreement…
