Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed his appreciation towards US President Donald Trump’s position on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.
“Egypt values the statement by President Donald Trump, which demonstrates the seriousness of the US —under President Trump’s leadership—in exerting efforts to resolve conflicts and end wars,” Sisi wrote on his official facebook account on Tuesday.
“Egypt reaffirms its confidence in President Trump’s ability to address complex challenges and to advance peace, stability, and security across the globe, whether in Ukraine, the Palestinian territory, or Africa.
“Egypt also appreciates President Trump’s keenness on reaching a just agreement that safeguards the interests of all parties regarding the Ethiopian Dam, as well as his recognition of the Nile as a source of life for Egypt,” Sisi added.
During his Monday meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, at the White House, the US President stated that: “Ethiopia has built a dam that can prevent water from flowing into Egypt, and the problem is that we are the ones who financed the construction of this dam, and I believe that we will reach a solution regarding the Renaissance Dam.”
Commenting on this, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the Egyptian Council for African Affairs, Salah Halima, affirmed that Trump possesses the experience and capabilities necessary to resolve the GERD crisis.
Trump pushes for peace
Halima said that Trump has declared his willingness to take active and effective action to resolve regional and international issues and conflicts, in the hopes of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
He praised President Sisi’s positive and constructive response to Trump’s move.
The Director of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, Ayman Abdel-Wahab, emphasized that Trump’s statements regarding GERD show his desire to present himself as a leader capable of resolving and ending conflicts – despite stumbling blocks thus far.
He said that Trump is aware of the seriousness of this issue towards stability in the Horn of Africa region, given the tense Egyptian-Sudanese relations with Ethiopia.
Abdel-Wahab explained that the Trump administration could help reach an institutional and legal agreement that guarantees Egypt’s rights, noting however that this requires America’s genuine interest.
The advisor to Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies and an expert on African affairs, Amany al-Tawil said that Trump’s statements come as part of his efforts to market himself domestically and internationally as a leader capable of dealing with complex global problems.
She warned that Trump’s previous efforts on the dam issue “have yielded nothing,” noting that these statements should be viewed “very cautiously” as they are linked to Trump’s perception of his overall performance and his self-image as “a great president or president of the greatest country.”
