Earlier on Saturday, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan hold a tripartite talk about a controversial mega Dam on the River Nile were tied because of Addis Ababa's "intransigence".

The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a source of tension in the River Nile basin since Ethiopia broke ground nearly a decade ago.

Ethiopia considers the dam to be essential for electrification and development, while Sudan and Egypt consider it a threat to essential water resources.

Egypt Spokesman for Ministry of  Water Resources and Irriation, Mohamed al-Sebaie said in a press release on the Ministry Facebook page about the dam "that he is not optimistic about the prospect of a breakthrough in the ongoing negotiations" over the dam.

He added that "this was due to the unwillingness to agree by Ethiopia, which became abundantly clear again at the ongoing negotiation meetings of the Ministers of Water Resources of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan."


The vigorously worded statement follows days of negotiations on the project amid heightened urgency to close a deal ahead Addis Ababa's plans on filling the dam in July.

"Ethiopia's claim is that Egypt and Sudan should either sign a text that would make them hostage against the will and whims of Ethiopia, or accept Ethiopia's decision to unilaterally fill the GERD," said Sebaie.

Talks between the irrigation and water ministers from the three Nile Basin countries resumed Tuesday after a four-month hiatus, along with three observers from the United States, the European Union and South Africa.

After several unsuccessful rounds of negotiations, the United States and the World Bank supported talks leading to a comprehensive deal from November 2019, after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made a request to his ally, US President Donald Trump.

But the process stalled after the Treasury Department urged Ethiopia to sign an agreement that supported Egypt as "fair and balanced".

Ethiopia denied that a deal had been reached and accused Washington of being "undiplomatic" and playing favorites.

Ethiopia's water ministry criticized Egypt on Thursday for explaining its grievances about the dam in a letter to the UN Security Council in May.

The 6,600-kilometer-long (3,900 miles) Nile is a lifeline that provides water and power in the 10 countries it crosses.

The main tributaries, the White and Blue Nile, converge in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum before flowing north through Egypt to drain into the Mediterranean.

https://infonet.com.ng/Thread-Egypt-accuses-Ethiopia-of-holding-it-hostage-in-talks-with-Nile-Dam