CAIRO — Since the prime ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed May 21 to resume technical negotiations to look into a consensual formula to resolve the dispute over water storage and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the technical committees of the three countries have started arrangements to agree on an agenda and meeting date. But no results have been reached yet. Meanwhile, anticipation is rising, and there is increased caution about potential consensual solutions, with Ethiopia’s insistence on beginning the filling of the dam in July.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had set a condition in a press statement May 21 that technical meetings shall resume based on the outcome of the Washington negotiations in February and shall be limited to agreement on the pending issues in the operation and filling of the GERD. The ministry underlined the importance of the seriousness and constructiveness of the scheduled meeting and of reaching a fair, comprehensive and balanced agreement.

The negotiations between the ministers of foreign affairs and water of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia took place from November 2019 to February under the political and technical patronage of the World Bank and the United States. They reached a comprehensive agreement formula that included specific rules to fill and operate the GERD and measures to face the drought, extended drought and years of scarcity. They also agreed on a coordination mechanism and a binding mechanism to resolve conflicts, and discussed the safety of the GERD and the completion of environmental studies. Egypt has initialed the agreement drafted by the United States and the World Bank, while Ethiopia refused it and withdrew. Meanwhile, Sudan postponed its signature until the three countries agree on all the terms — but there was no official announcement on its stance.

Ever since the Washington negotiations failed due to Ethiopia’s withdrawal, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been calling for putting the agreement reached in Washington to fill the GERD on hold until a comprehensive formula that specifies the rules of operating and filling the dam is ratified. Ethiopia tried to pass the first filling process of the dam to be able to conduct the pilot operation of the turbines and power generation by proposing a partial agreement with Egypt and Sudan in mid-March, but both countries refused to sign said agreement.