The meeting held between the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, on the issues around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD 2023-2024), has ended in Cairo. The two leaders agreed on a number of issues, which they made public today.
According to a joint press statement, they expressed commitment to the GERD project, saying that they would do everything they could to ensure that the deal is completed in the next four months.
On his part, President Ahmed of Ethiopia said that his country will consider the concerns of Egypt and Sudan by ensuring that their share of water is considered during the resumption of the fourth filling of the GERD (2023-2024).
The two leaders agreed to finalize all outstanding agreements early to pave the way for the construction of the GERD (2023–2024).
The GERD (2023-2024) has been a source of conflict between Ethiopia and some of its neighbors for close to 10 years.
In 2021, the African Union (AU) waded into the crisis with the aim of brokering peace between the various parties. Ethiopia had at the time frowned at the invitation of other parties to the mediation, saying that the AU’s efforts to bring the impasse to an end were being undermined.
The meeting between the leaders of Ethiopia and Egypt represents a new resolve towards seeking a permanent solution to a prolonged conflict.
