– Years of negotiations over the Abbay Dam collapsed because Egypt never intended to reach a fair deal, but instead aimed to stop the project altogether, a senior Nile affairs expert said.
Speaking on the Gazette Plus Podcast of the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), Senior Expert Fakahamed Negash said the talks started in a calm and cooperative atmosphere but quickly fell into stalemate due to Egypt’s “deceptive tactics.”
“The Nile is a lifeline for nearly half a billion people in 11 countries. It is not only about water but also energy and food security for millions. For this reason, debate without progress is difficult, and negotiation with Egypt has been more challenging because of the techniques they apply,” he noted.
Fakahamed emphasized that Ethiopia’s team, though small, was always well-prepared and committed to dialogue, while Egypt repeatedly abandoned the table. He said deception became Cairo’s primary tactic, with shifting agendas used to derail progress and undermine credibility.
He recalled that Egypt initially appeared cooperative, even promising to abandon the colonial-era 1929 and 1959 water treaties. But after gaining Ethiopia’s trust and access to project details, Cairo reversed its position. While Ethiopia shared dam design documents and data, Egypt withheld similar information during its own dam projects.
At Egypt’s request, Ethiopia also delayed ratifying the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) for two years, only to face renewed pressure to halt the dam altogether. “After receiving all the information, they surprisingly demanded Ethiopia stop the dam’s construction. That was completely unacceptable,” Fakahamed stressed.
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