Link to article: https://allafrica.com/stories/202409020110.html
In recent years, tensions have been growing between Ethiopia and Egypt mainly over the development of the $4.2 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Although the dam will provide electricity for Ethiopia as well as neighboring countries, both Egypt and Sudan have voiced concern that the implantation of the dam could greatly reduce the flow of the Nile River into their regions. This water flow reduction will negatively affect the economies of both states by disabling their agricultural production. Despite continuously being called on to postpone the filling of the dam until a compromise is reached, Addis Ababa has continued the dam’s production regardless. In the last month Somalia and Egypt signed an agreement regarding security to replace the failing African Union-backed force. Lots of concerns have been raised in Ethiopia towards the close proximity of Egyptian troops in Somalia. The foreign ministry in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, has released a statement stating that the country “cannot stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilize the region.”
An additional point of conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt points to Somalia’s breakaway region, Somaliland. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and is currently an autonomous region in northern Somalia. Neither the AU nor UN recognize Somaliland as an independent state and Somalia still sees Somaliland as part of its territory. On January 1, 2024, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi signed an agreement. This agreement stated that Somaliland would lease 19 kilometers (12 mi) of its Red Sea coastline to Ethiopia around the port City of Berbera. In return, Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland as an autonomous country and give it a stake in Ethiopian Airlines offering a sort of foreign sovereignty.
If Addis Ababa had honored Egypt and Sudan’s request to find a mutual agreement regarding the building of the dam, these growing tensions could have possibly been avoided. In addition, the implementation of Egyptian troops in Somalia could have been discussed which may have helped with the spike of concerns in Ethiopia. I believe that if Ethiopia had agreed to at least converse with the countries that the dam will affect, many disputes would have been avoided. This all goes to show how much compromise plays a role in relationships between countries and how it can help prevent conflicts and save lives.