29 July 2020; MEMO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said that his country is keen on resolving the crisis over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam through negotiations and not military action.
In statements he gave during the inauguration of an economic project, Al-Sisi added that Egypt supports Ethiopia’s right to pursue its development as long as this does not affect the Nile waters that reach Egypt.
Egyptians fear that the hydropower project could allow Ethiopia, an upstream country, to control the flow of water to downstream Egypt. Ethiopia recently announced that it has started to fill the dam’s reservoir, which could impact Egypt’s Nile waters. But this was later denied.
In reference to Egyptians’ calls for war on Ethiopia over the latter’s construction of the dam that is feared to lead to water shortage in Egypt, Al-Sisi said negotiations could take a long time but threats are unacceptable.
“There is no need for threats, among Egyptian public opinion, of military action. We are negotiating so we can all benefit, and so that no harm is done to us.”
