US Ready to Restart Mediation in Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Dispute, Says Trump Advisor

The Senior Advisor to the US President for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, emphasized that Donald Trump has expressed readiness to resume mediation between Cairo and Addis Ababa to achieve an agreement on water management among Nile Basin countries and resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.

He stated that Washington pursues diplomatic solutions and maintains communication with all parties, while continuing to encourage Egypt and Ethiopia to engage in dialogue for a mutually satisfactory agreement. In an exclusive interview with Alhurra, Boulos noted that Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos traveled to Washington in May for bilateral US-Ethiopian discussions covering several aspects of the dispute. Boulos also mentioned that during his recent trip to Cairo, he communicated the US President’s objective of securing an agreement acceptable to all involved parties.

Addressing the controversy surrounding historical agreements on the Nile waters, Boulos stated that Washington is urging experts from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to collaborate on technical solutions for the remaining issues. He confirmed American willingness to offer technical support to all sides, reaffirming Trump's commitment to restarting mediation between Cairo and Addis Ababa to achieve a final settlement.

The GERD, finished and formally inaugurated in September 2025 on the Blue Nile, stands as one of the primary sources of the Nile and Africa's largest hydropower facility. The infrastructure features 13 turbines alongside a 74 billion cubic meter reservoir, which had undergone five fillings by September 2024 to reach 638 meters above sea level. This development has triggered intense conflicts with Egypt and Sudan, relying on the Nile for 97 percent and 55 percent of their respective water supplies.

Egypt traditionally relies on 55.5 billion cubic meters annually based on 1929 and 1959 pacts, and worries the dam will diminish water flow, endangering agriculture and the water security of its 100 million citizens. Meanwhile, Sudan recognizes the dam's advantages for irrigation and power generation, yet remains concerned about unregulated flooding, such as the October 2025 incident where sluice gate openings inundated areas near the Roseires River and forced Ethiopia to cut its discharge to 300 million cubic meters daily to prevent catastrophe.