Mogadishu is prepared to support negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan on a newly inaugurated mega-dam, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has stressed his country’s willingness to serve as a facilitator in ongoing dialogue between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the management of Nile water resources.
In an interview with Al Arabiya TV on Tuesday, the president voiced strong support for the recent commissioning of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest hydropower dam in Africa, adding the project “will have a great impact on the Ethiopian economy and the region as a whole.”
Mohamud further stated that Somalia is committed to supporting all stakeholders in finding a peaceful and sustainable resolution. “During the opening ceremony, I confirmed that Somalia is ready to support both sides, Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as Sudan, to understand each other,” the leader said.
He noted that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had expressed his openness to dialogue with any parties who have concerns regarding the dam.
Despite fierce opposition from downstream Egypt and Sudan, Mohamud stressed that Somalia’s diplomatic stance remains balanced, and affirmed that Somalia’s ties with Ethiopia had never posed a threat to its strategic relationship with Cairo. “Somalis live in peace with themselves and with the whole world,” he stated.
The GERD was officially inaugurated on September 9 and is expected to generate up to 5.15 gigawatts of power for landlocked Ethiopia, where nearly half the population is estimated to lack access to electricity. Located on the Blue Nile River, one of the two major tributaries of the Nile, the facility had been under construction since 2011.
Addis Ababa sees the project as a transformative energy source for the region and a symbol of “regional cooperation and mutual benefit,” although it has long been a source of dispute. Egypt and Sudan have repeatedly voiced concerns over its impact on downstream water flows. The Nile is estimated to provide approximately 97% of Egypt’s fresh water supplies. Both Cairo and Khartoum fear that upstream water retention could severely affect agriculture and water security in their countries.
