Ethiopia and Egypt have reported that their recent discussions regarding the disputed Nile dam did not result in an agreement

Ethiopia and Egypt have announced that their recent negotiations concerning the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile’s main tributary have once again concluded without an agreement. The talks, held in Addis Ababa and involving Sudan as well, lasted for three days and ended with both countries pointing fingers at each other.

Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation stated that Ethiopia’s “persistent refusal” to accept compromises led to the talks’ failure. In response, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry accused Egypt of creating “roadblocks” during the discussions, preventing consensus.

The long-standing dispute revolves around the $4 billion GERD, which Ethiopia initiated construction on in 2011. Located on the Blue Nile near the Sudan border, Egypt is concerned that the dam could severely affect its water and irrigation supply downstream if Ethiopia doesn’t consider its needs.

Egypt heavily relies on the Nile for its water supply, and the Blue Nile converges with the White Nile in Khartoum, Sudan, before flowing through Egypt. The country views the dam as an existential threat, given its reliance on the Nile to support agriculture and its large population.

The key issue at hand is how much water Ethiopia will release downstream from the dam, and Egypt seeks a regulatory agreement. Ethiopia’s primary goal is to generate electricity from the dam.

Both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed had committed to reaching an agreement on the dam within four months back in July. However, previous negotiations in September also ended without resolution.

The GERD began producing power last year, and Ethiopia announced the completion of the final phase of filling the dam’s reservoir in September. Once operational, the dam is expected to generate over 6,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling Ethiopia’s current output and turning it into a net energy exporter. Ethiopia has expressed its intention to continue utilizing the river, with or without an agreement in place.