Withholding aid to Ethiopia signals U.S. backing for Egypt, also an important Middle East partner, in the dispute. Ethiopia is developing a 6,000-megawatt power plant at the dam, and has asserted a right to use the resource for its development. “Ethiopia will not be deterred from finishing GERD by U.S. aid cuts and nor will it change its negotiating stance,” said William Davison, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Ethiopia. Ethiopia walked away from the talks and called for the African Union to moderate the dispute. The three African nations failed to break the deadlock in negotiations last week, Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasser Abas said.

Source: Ethiopian News September 02, 2020 08:20 UTC