JOHANNESBURG – Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the State Department said Wednesday that the United States will postpone some of its aid to Ethiopia due to the “lack of progress” in the country’s talks with Egypt and Sudan about a large and disputed dam in which The Nile is ending.
A State Department spokesman told The Associated Press that the resolve to “temporarily suspend” some help to a key regional security best friend “reflects our fear of unilateral movement across the United States.Ethiopia to begin filling the dam before an agreement and all security measures are in place.”
It is not known how many millions of dollars of aid are allocated or for how long.The resolution made through Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “is based on the president’s guidance,” the spokesman said.
Ethiopia said this week that it is seeking an explanation from the United States after a media report said Pompeo had approved $130 million relief in aid due to the dam dispute.source of national pride.
Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam has caused serious tensions with Egypt, which has described it as existential risk and fears that the country’s share of Nile waters will decline.Ethiopia says the $4.6 billion dam will be an engine of progression that will take millions of people out of poverty.Sudan, in the middle, is involved in the effects on its own dams, it can gain advantages from access to reasonable electricity.
Years of inter-country discussions have failed to reach an agreement.The main remaining disorders relate to how to manage dam water discharges over multi-year droughts and how to prolong conflicts.
Pope Francis recently suggested that Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan continue talks amid regional considerations that the dispute may lead to a military conflict.
Earlier this year, the United States attempted to mediate the talks, Ethiopia distanced itself amid accusations that Washington was on Egypt’s side.The 3 countries now report on any progress to the African Union, which leads the negotiations.
The dam’s 74 billion cubic meter reservoir was first filled in July, which the Ethiopian government celebrated and attributed to heavy rains.Ethiopia had said it would fill the dam with or without an agreement with Egypt and Sudan.
The State Department spokesman said that “the United States is involved in the lack of progress in negotiating a trilateral agreement” on the filling and operation of the dam, although he said the United States continues to work with the 3 countries on the issue.
“The United States has in the past and continually expressed its fear that starting dirD filling before all mandatory dam protection measures are implemented creates serious dangers for others in downstream countries,” he added.undermines the other parties’ confidence in the negotiations.”
The State Department spokesman said it will continue support for Ethiopia’s reaction to COVID-19 and HIV and “some humanitarian assistance to those affected by conflict, drought, displacement and other demanding humanitarian situations.”
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