US to play a role in mediating the Egypt-Ethiopia GERD conflict
US steps in to mediate in the Egypt-Ethiopia GERD dispute: The US has invited members of the Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese governments to Washington on 6 November to try and resolve the dispute surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said at a press conference yesterday, according to Reuters. Egypt last week accepted an offer from the US to mediate the dispute before President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed at the Russia-Africa summit to resume technical talks.
It’s best not to read too much into this at the moment: It is still not clear whether the meeting will actually go ahead, with Ethiopia and Sudan yet to agree to US mediation. Ethiopia in particular has been staunchly opposed to the involvement of any third parties, and while El Sisi and Ahmed did agree to return to the negotiating table, the statement did not mention anything about mediation.