Washington ready to resume meditating GERD dispute: Trump Advisor

Massad Boulos, the Senior Advisor to the US President for Arab and African Affairs, affirmed that Donald Trump is open to reinstating negotiations between Cairo and Addis Ababa to address the water management dispute among Nile Basin nations, particularly the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) situation. Washington emphasizes its commitment to finding diplomatic resolutions and maintaining ongoing communication with all involved parties.

The US continues to advocate for Egypt and Ethiopia to engage in dialogue with the aim of reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement. In an interview with Alhurra, Boulos mentioned that Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos had visited Washington in May to engage in bilateral talks with US-Ethiopian officials, during which discussions covered various aspects of the dispute.

Upon his recent visit to Cairo, Boulos conveyed the President's determination to reach an agreement that satisfies all parties involved. Regarding historical agreements concerning Nile waters, Boulos highlighted that the US is promoting cooperation among experts from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to develop technical solutions for the remaining issues.

Washington is prepared to offer technical assistance to all parties, reaffirming President Trump's intention to resume mediation efforts between Cairo and Addis Ababa in pursuit of a lasting resolution to the dispute. The GERD, a critical component of the Nile's main water source and the largest hydropower project in Africa, was officially inaugurated in September 2025.

It features 13 turbines and a reservoir capable of storing 74 billion cubic meters of water. Since September 2024, the reservoir has been filled five times, reaching a height of 638 meters above sea level. The dam's construction has sparked contentious disputes with Egypt and Sudan, both of which rely heavily on the Nile for their water requirements.

Egypt, historically receiving 55.5 billion cubic meters per year under agreements from 1929 and 1959, worries that the dam may diminish water flow, endangering agriculture (accounting for 80 percent of water consumption) and jeopardizing the water security of its 100 million inhabitants. While Sudan perceives benefits from the dam in terms of irrigation and electricity generation, there are concerns about uncontrolled flooding, exemplified by the overflow in October 2025 that inundated areas along the Roseires River.