US President Donald Trump told Egypt on Friday he was ready to reopen diplomacy to press Ethiopia into sharing water from a mega-dam that has angered Cairo. "I am ready to restart US mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve the question of 'The Nile Water Sharing' once and for all," Trump said a letter to Sisi posted on social media by the White House. "The United States affirms that no state in this region should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile, and disadvantage its neighbors in the process," Trump said. Sisi has called the dam an existential threat, with parched Egypt counting on the Nile for 97 percent of its water needs. The remarks stunned both Egypt and Ethiopia, which summoned the US ambassador for clarification and vowed to resist any attack.

Source: Ethiopian News January 16, 2026 22:35 UTC