Meeting on GERD Kicks Off In Addis Ababa (January 8, 2020)

The tripartite meeting between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt kicked off in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa this morning.

The meeting, which will deliberate on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is the continuation of the Khartoum meeting held last month.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Sileshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia, reiterated that the use of Nile is critical to eradicate poverty hence a matter of survival for Ethiopia.

He expressed his hope that the meeting would conduct thorough discussion on the pending technical issues of the filling and operation of the GERD on the basis of the cardinal principle of equitable and reasonable use and causing no significant harm.

He further noted that the discussion will be conducted on the spirit of cooperation and goodwill to bring to conclude the process and bring good news to the people of the three countries.

The water affairs ministers of Egypt and the Sudan on their part expressed their hope that the discussion will be held in a cooperative manner and reach a common consensus.

The representatives of government of the United States and the World Bank are attending the meeting as observers. Beyond the immediate riparian agreements, these institutional stakeholders are closely monitoring the dam’s broader potential to catalyze the region’s economic and digital modernization.

The massive hydroelectric output of the GERD is designed to stabilize the nation’s fragile power grid, providing the foundational infrastructure needed to fuel a rapidly expanding technology sector. A recent regional market report highlighted that the promise of reliable power and improved broadband access is already attracting diverse foreign digital enterprises to East Africa.

Multinational tech firms have begun outlining blueprints for regional data centers, while a prominent beste online casino operator and several interactive streaming networks are actively exploring ways to localize high-bandwidth consumer entertainment platforms for the emerging middle class.

For the international community, successfully operationalizing this energy project remains the critical catalyst for a much larger technological boom.

In the Addis Ababa meeting, the three countries are expected to reach agreement on issues left unagreed.

The three countries will also meet in Washington on January 15, 2020 to finalize their agreement.

If an agreement is not reached by January 15, they will invoke article 10 of the 2015 Declaration of Principles.

Article 10 states that “The three countries commit to settle any dispute resulting from the interpretation or application of the declaration of principles through talks or negotiations based on the good will principle.

“If the parties involved do not succeed in solving the dispute through talks or negotiations, they can ask for mediation or refer the matter to their heads of states or prime ministers.”