The United States is signaling a significant shift in its approach to the protracted dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), now advocating for a "technical, not political" path to resolution between Ethiopia and Egypt.
The subtle but critical change in tone was delivered by Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s Senior Adviser for African, Arab, and Middle Eastern Affairs, who told Al Arabiya Arabic that the multi-billion dollar hydropower project is "now a reality" that must be managed through specialized, scientific means.
Boulos’s remarks represent a notable departure from Washington’s previous stance, particularly during the first Trump administration, which was widely seen as siding with Egypt's position. The new messaging acknowledges that the GERD—a $4.8 billion dam on the Blue Abbay—has been completed and is operational, fundamentally rebalancing the power dynamics of the Nile Basin.
“The issue is purely a technical matter that must be resolved in a technical way,” Boulos stated, underscoring that the US is working to find a solution “suitable for all parties.”
The U.S. shift in tone aligns with wider changes in Africa's water politics, as highlighted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in a recent analysis titled “Water Wars: Has GERD Reset Africa’s Hydropolitics?” According to the ISS, Ethiopia’s completion and inauguration of the GERD was more than an engineering achievement; it symbolized a major reordering of Abbay power dynamics. For centuries, Egypt maintained nearly exclusive control over the river's downstream flow, while upstream nations like Ethiopia lacked the political and physical capacity to harness the water's potential.
For Ethiopia, the statement is a welcome validation of its long-held argument that the dam is a development and energy project, not a political weapon, and should be handled by basin states through scientific dialogue.
Boulos confirmed that diplomatic communication continues with both Egypt and Ethiopia, noting they are "nations bound by historical ties that should not lead to conflict." The new US position suggests diplomacy is finally catching up to the physical reality of the GERD on the ground, opening a potential window for pragmatism in the decade-long disagreement. The story is from ABREN.
