Ethiopia to sit out Nile dam project talks

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia will skip the latest round of U.S.-brokered talks this week on a disputed Nile dam project with Egypt and Sudan, the country’s water ministry announced Wednesday.

A final deal on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam had been expected this month, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his Ethiopia visit last week that an agreement now might take months as “a great deal of work remains.”

The dispute over what will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam pits Ethiopia’s desire to pull millions out of poverty against Egypt’s concerns over a critical water supply.

Ethiopia will skip the talks in Washington today and Friday “because the country’s delegation hasn’t concluded its consultation with relevant stakeholders,” the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy said on its Facebook page.

The announcement came amid concerns in Ethiopia that its delegation has been pressured by the U.S. to reach a deal on a $4.6 billion dam that is nearing completion. The U.S. became involved in the talks after Egypt’s invitation.

Responding to Ethiopia’s decision to sit out this week’s meeting, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Hafez, asserted that Egypt remained “committed to the negotiation track … according to what was agreed upon by the three countries.”

Egypt wants the dam to be filled more slowly to reduce restrictions on the flow of the Nile.

Ethiopia says the dam is needed to provide electricity for development. In January, it announced that it will start filling the dam, now more than 70% complete, in July at the start of the rainy season.