Special Envoy of Egypt Interim President to visit Asmara

Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh with the former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi

Special Envoy of Egypt Interim President to visit Asmara


Special Envoy of Egypt Interim President to visit Asmara to apprise Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki of developments in Egypt and the region, a senior Eritrean official tweeted today.

The news comes just one week after Ethiopia rejected a proposal that would guarantee Egypt the rights to most of the Nile River’s water, as disagreements cast doubt over future talks about the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

In a recent meeting in Khartoum, Egyptian officials introduced a “principles of confidence-building” document asking Ethiopia to “respect” Sudan and Egypt’s water security, a request Ethiopia has rejected.

Egypt, which receives the lowest annual rainfall in Africa, is concerned the hydropower project would significantly hurt its ability to deliver drinking water to its 85 million citizens.

But Ethiopian officials have cemented their position of late and are in no mood to compromise.

“The Renaissance Dam is here to stay. It is advisable for all actors of the political establishment in Egypt to come to terms with this reality,” said Getachew Reda, a spokesman for Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Egypt says it can not afford to lose even "one drop of water" and has threatened it will use military action if talks fail to convince Ethiopia to stop building the dam, which is expected to be completed by 2017.

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