U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to restart American mediation efforts between Egypt and Ethiopia to resolve the decade-long dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), according to a letter addressed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and released on January 17, 2026. The move signals renewed diplomatic engagement in a conflict centered on Africa's largest hydropower project.
In his correspondence, Trump emphasized the need for equitable resource sharing, stating: "No state in this region should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile." The GERD, completed in September 2025 at a cost of $5 billion, remains contentious as Egypt fears reduced water flows could devastate its agriculture and water supply.
Ethiopia views the dam as vital for economic development, projecting it will double the nation's electricity output. Downstream nations Egypt and Sudan continue to demand binding agreements on water management, with el-Sisi calling the issue "existential" for his country's 110 million residents.
Previous mediation attempts involving the U.S., African Union, and UAE failed to bridge differences over water-release timelines and legal safeguards. Trump's proposal suggests electricity-sharing arrangements could balance Ethiopia's energy needs with downstream water security concerns.
The offer comes as regional tensions persist, with Sudan recently raising new safety concerns about the dam's operations. Analysts note the challenge of reconciling national sovereignty claims with transboundary resource management in one of Africa's most strategically significant river basins.
