WHITE HOUSE, 17th January – US President Donald Trump has extended an offer to mediate the longstanding and complex dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia concerning the Nile Basin.
President Trump positioned the resolution of tensions surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a paramount priority on his agenda, integral to his pursuit of lasting peace across the Middle East and Africa.
The offer was formalized in a letter dated Friday, 16th January, addressed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Within the correspondence, Trump expressed his readiness to restart American mediation efforts between Cairo and Addis Ababa, aiming to responsibly and definitively settle the enduring question of Nile water sharing.
“In the spirit of our personal friendship and America’s unwavering commitment to peace and the well-being of the Egyptian people, my team and I fully recognize the profound significance of the Nile River to Egypt and its civilization,” he stated in his letter.
To that end, President Trump assured his North African counterpart of his desire to facilitate an outcome that secures the long-term water requirements not only for Egypt, but equally for the Republic of Sudan and Ethiopia.
The US, he affirmed, believes that “no state in that region should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile, thereby disadvantaging its neighbours in the process.”
Trump elaborated that with appropriate technical expertise, coupled with fair and transparent negotiations underpinned by a robust US role in monitoring and coordination, a durable agreement inclusive of all Nile Basin nations is within reach.
Such a successful framework, he noted, would ensure predictable water releases for Egypt and Sudan during periods of drought and prolonged dry spells, while simultaneously permitting Ethiopia to generate substantial amounts of electricity from the dam.
“Perhaps some of this energy,” Trump suggested, “could be provided, or sold, to Egypt or Sudan.”
The President also took occasion to commend the cordial bilateral relationship between Egypt and the United States, praising President El-Sisi’s leadership in successfully mediating a recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“I recognize and admire your steadfast role in managing the multitude of security and humanitarian challenges this region has faced, and the burdens your own people have carried since October 7, 2023. This conflict has weighed heavily on Egyptians, not just their immediate neighbors in Israel and Gaza,” Trump wrote.
The core of the bilateral rift between Addis Ababa and Cairo centers on the GERD, situated on the Blue Nile. Egypt harbors deep concerns over potential existential threats to its water security, given its historic and near-total reliance on the Nile.
Conversely, Ethiopia asserts its sovereign right to utilize its water resources for national development. This divergence has fueled accusations of unilateral action, disputes over colonial-era water rights, and protracted negotiations that have frequently stalled. Despite ongoing talks under African Union (AU) auspices, the impasse has periodically sparked escalating rhetoric and diplomatic maneuvers extending to the United Nations.
The $5 billion GERD represents Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam project, boasting a maximum power generation capacity of 5,150 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to millions of Ethiopians and potentially neighboring nations.
Construction commenced in 2011, with the final phase of the reservoir’s filling completed on September 5, 2024. By March 20, 2025, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali reported that six of the dam’s thirteen turbines were operational. The project was declared complete on July 3 and formally inaugurated on September 9 of the same year.
The Nile River, the lifeline of northeastern Africa, is formed by the convergence of the White Nile and the Blue Nile, originating from Lake Victoria in Uganda and Lake Tana in Ethiopia, respectively. These two major tributaries meet at Khartoum, Sudan, forming the Nile proper.
The river supplies approximately 97 percent of Egypt’s freshwater needs, sustaining an estimated population of over 104 million people residing in the Nile Valley and Delta.
In alignment with his broader international peace initiatives, President Trump previously brokered a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, ending a decade-long diplomatic standoff.
Copies of President Trump’s letter were also sent to key regional leaders: Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates; Taye Selassie, Ethiopian President; and General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of the Sudan.
Concluding his appeal, President Trump expressed a firm hope: “I very much hope that this truly understandable dispute over the GERD will not lead to a major military conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia.”
romondi99@theeyeswatch.co.ke
