Nile Water Issues Roil Political Situation in Horn of Africa

Source: Foreign Affairs published on 10 August 2020

Foreign Affairs published on 10 August 2020 a commentary titled “Toxic Water Politics Threaten Democracy and Regional Stability” by Michael Woldemariam.

Ethiopia has begun filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.  Egypt continues to regard the dam as a threat to its national interests.  Sudan is caught in the middle of the dispute.  Negotiations have failed to resolve critical outstanding issues.  Toxic Nile politics are complicating the fragile democratic transitions in Ethiopia and Sudan.  International relations in the Horn of Africa remain unstable and Ethiopia’s and Egypt’s efforts to outflank each other diplomatically add to an already explosive mix.