Uncle Sugar continues tightening up the purse strings on President Trump’s watch.
[AlAhram] The United States has suspended aid to Æthiopia over the filling of its disputed Grand Æthiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without an accord with Egypt and Sudan, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, quoting a State Department official.The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter and asked not to be identified, said President Donald Trump
...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US...’s administration is increasingly concerned about the lack of progress in negotiations between the three countries.
He said the US government is working with the three countries to facilitate an agreement that balances their interests.
The US had brokered talks between the three sides late last year to break the years-long deadlock in negotiations, but failed to secure signatures from the three countries on a draft deal.
Washington stressed to Æthiopia that the filling of the 6,000-megawatt dam "should not take place without an agreement".
Egypt initialed the deal drafted by the US but Æthiopia refused to sign.
Addis Ababa announced in July that it had achieved its first-year target for the filling of the dam’s reservoir due to the rainfall season.
The move was condemned by Cairo and Khartoum, both of whom sought a legally binding agreement before the dam’s filling.
The State Department official’s comments to Bloomberg confirm a report by Foreign Policy magazine on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approving a plan in late August to suspend some foreign aid to Æthiopia over the dam dispute.
US officials and congressional aides familiar with the matter told Foreign Policy last week that the decision made by Pompeo could affect up to $130 million in foreign aid to Æthiopia, adding that the finalised cuts could amount to less than $130 million, however.
The nearly completed $5 billion dam has been a source of contention between the three countries.
Cairo fears the project will significantly cut its crucial water supplies from the River Nile, while Sudan has concerns on how the reservoir will be managed.
Æthiopia says the massive project, which it hopes will make it Africa’s largest power exporter, is key to its development efforts.
Related:
Æthiopia: 2020-08-14 At least 17 killed in political unrest in southern Ethiopia
Æthiopia: 2020-08-14 Floods displace more than 53,000 Ethiopians
Æthiopia: 2020-05-26 Coronaplague Roundup
Æthiopia: 2020-08-14 At least 17 killed in political unrest in southern Ethiopia
Æthiopia: 2020-08-14 Floods displace more than 53,000 Ethiopians
Æthiopia: 2020-05-26 Coronaplague Roundup
Related:
Renaissance Dam: 2020-07-29 Mohamed Naser Ali, TV Host On Turkey-Based Muslim Brotherhood Channel, Warns: Libya Would Be Like Vietnam For The Egyptian Army
Renaissance Dam: 2020-07-27 "The Nile Is Ours!" Ethiopia Tweet Outrages Egypt As Giant Upstream Dam Being Filled In
Renaissance Dam: 2019-07-11 Israel air defense system for Ethiopia’s Great Nile dam - Egypt unhappy
Renaissance Dam: 2020-07-29 Mohamed Naser Ali, TV Host On Turkey-Based Muslim Brotherhood Channel, Warns: Libya Would Be Like Vietnam For The Egyptian Army
Renaissance Dam: 2020-07-27 "The Nile Is Ours!" Ethiopia Tweet Outrages Egypt As Giant Upstream Dam Being Filled In
Renaissance Dam: 2019-07-11 Israel air defense system for Ethiopia’s Great Nile dam - Egypt unhappy