Addis Ababa University, College of Law and Governance organized a panel discussion on the growing tension between Ethiopia and Egypt over the construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) at Mandela Hall on 13^th March 2020.

The purpose of the panel discussion is to create awareness on the community about the US mediation between Ethiopia and Egypt in the current argument over GERD and to gather intellectual ideas how Ethiopia is to manage the negotiation in the future.

During the discussion, Dereje Zeleke (PhD) said the current Nile river benefit is solely based on the 1929 colonial agreement and the 1959 agreement signed between Egypt and Sudan.

The agreement allows Egypt and Sudan as the only privileged countries upon the Nile and neglects the other countries in the Nile Basin, Dr. Dereje added.

Dr. Dereje intensified the idea as, “The 1929 and the 1959 cooperative negotiations fully authorized to share the water between the two countries, Egypt and Sudan.”

Professor Tesfaye Tafesse in his part said the win-win approach upon the River Nile is the most indispensable way in which all the Nile river beneficiary countries would reach the right negotiations.

“The Egyptian interest on the river is always ‘I am the only country which has a full control on the Nile’. This is unacceptable.” Prof. Tesfaye emphasized.

The participants condemn the United States and the World Bank positions on the conflict resolution of the two countries, Ethiopian and Egypt over GERD as totally undesirable.

Ethiopians are constructing their dam, GERD by themselves without any external support and intentionally planned to provide electricity to neighboring countries with a purpose to ensure energy security in the region.

Written By: Tenagnework Mekonenn
Photographer: Fikremariam Beyene