Military Space News
AFRICA NEWS
Egypt president thanks Trump for offer to mediate on Ethiopia dam

Egypt president thanks Trump for offer to mediate on Ethiopia dam

by AFP Staff Writers
Cairo (AFP) Jan 17, 2026
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday for offering to serve as a mediator with Ethiopia over sharing water from a Nile mega-dam at the centre of more than a decade of tensions.

Trump had said on Friday that he was "ready to restart US mediation" to resolve the question of water sharing along the Nile, upon which Egypt relies for 97 percent of its water needs.

Sisi said he welcomed "Trump's attention to the central importance of the Nile River issue for Egypt, as it represents the lifeline of the Egyptian people" in a post on X.

He added that he had a desire to cooperate with other countries along the river "without harming any party".

Inaugurated in September, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is the largest in Africa, at 1.8 kilometres (1.1 miles) long and 145 metres (475 feet) tall.

It is expected to double electricity production in Ethiopia -- the continent's second most populous country, where nearly half of the people lack power -- but Egypt fears it will throttle water supplies downstream.

The GERD is situated on western Ethiopia's Blue Nile, which later joins the White Nile in Sudan to form the Nile River, which flows through Egypt to the Mediterranean.

Sudan's army chief and de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan also welcomed Trump's mediation in the hope of "finding lasting and satisfying solutions that preserve the rights of all", he said on X Saturday.

Various efforts at mediation between the three countries over the last decade -- led at different times by the US, the World Bank, Russia and the United Arab Emirates -- have consistently failed.

Trump said in a letter to Sisi released by the White House on Friday that he hoped for a formula that would provide a predictable water supply for Egypt and Sudan, and let Ethiopia either sell or give electricity to the two downstream countries.

Sisi has called the dam an existential threat, while Ethiopia sees it as a national project of historic scale and a rare unifying symbol.

Trump had stunned both Egypt and Ethiopia near the end of his first term when he expressed hope for a resolution to the GERD question, saying that if not, Egypt would "blow up that dam".

nda/smw/jfx

X

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
US delivers 'critical military supplies' to Nigeria after Xmas strikes
Lagos (AFP) Jan 13, 2026
The United States on Tuesday said it had delivered "critical military supplies" to Nigeria after staging Christmas Day strikes targeting militants in the restive northwest. The delivery is the latest sign of increased security cooperation between Washington and Abuja, and also comes as Nigeria's national security adviser struck a $750,000-per-month deal with a US firm to lobby President Donald Trump's administration. On the evening of December 25, the United States struck sites in Sokoto state i ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
Greenland is helpful, but not vital, for US missile defense

Netanyahu says Israel won't let Iran restore ballistic missile programme

Germany puts ballistic missile defence shield into service

What is Taiwan's T-Dome?

AFRICA NEWS
Japan and US agree to expand cooperation on missiles, military drills

Russia claims Oreshnik missile hit Ukrainian aviation plant

North Korea tests hypersonic missiles, says nuclear forces ready for war

North Korea's Kim touts new rocket launchers that could target South

AFRICA NEWS
India accuses Pakistan of cross-border drone incursions in Kashmir

Sweden invests over $400 mn in military drones

Tethered UAV system demonstrates autonomous knotting for heavy load aerial transport

Drones take thermal readings to track dolphin health

AFRICA NEWS
Europe backs secure satellite communications with multibillion euro package

SpainSat NG programme completed as second secure communications satellite launches

New Laboratory Showcases Advanced Satcom Capabilities for Australian Defence Force

European Response to Escalating Space Security Crisis

AFRICA NEWS
Japan, Philippines agree military resupply deal

Cyviz awarded two classified NATO defense contracts for mission critical visualization systems

Japan govt approves record budget, including for defence

German defence giants battle over military spending ramp-up

AFRICA NEWS
City of London says ready to support EU's rearmament push

Netanyahu says wants Israel to cope without US aid within decade

Malaysian ex-army chief detained in military procurement graft probe

'Sign of life': defence boom lifts German factory orders

AFRICA NEWS
Leaders of Japan and South Korea meet as China flexes muscles

MPs concerned ahead of UK decision on mega Chinese embassy

NATO 'far from being in a crisis' over Greenland: top commander

EU should consider forming combined military force: defence chief

AFRICA NEWS
Bright emission from hidden quantum states demonstrated in nanotechnology breakthrough

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.