President Donald Trump said he is ready to resume U.S. mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to settle disputes over Nile River water sharing. Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) last fall — Africa’s largest dam, expected to generate more than 5,000 megawatts. Egypt warns the dam could reduce its downstream share of Nile waters, which it relies on for agriculture and to supply over 100 million people. Trump posted a letter to President Abdel‑Fattah el‑Sissi offering to mediate, but responses from the parties and the African Union are pending.
Trump Offers to Resume U.S. Mediation in Nile Water Dispute, Seeks Final Settlement Over GERD
President Donald Trump speaks at a dedication ceremony for a portion of Southern Boulevard, which the Town of Palm Beach Council recently voted to rename,"President Donald J. Trump Boulevard," Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday said he is prepared to resume U.S. mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to try to resolve long‑standing disputes over sharing the waters of the Nile River.
Washington‑led talks began during Trump’s first term but largely collapsed in 2020 when Ethiopia withdrew; some negotiations later continued under the African Union. Trump posted a copy of a letter he sent to Egyptian President Abdel‑Fattah el‑Sissi reiterating his offer to mediate.
Ethiopia formally inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) last fall. The project — Africa’s largest dam — sits on the Blue Nile near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan and is designed to generate more than 5,000 megawatts, roughly doubling Ethiopia’s electricity output.
Ethiopia views the GERD as a transformative development project that will expand power access and support economic growth. Egypt opposes the dam, saying it could reduce downstream flow and threaten the country’s share of Nile water — a resource Egypt depends on almost entirely for agriculture and to supply more than 100 million people.
“Ethiopia built the dam ‘unilaterally without any prior notification, proper consultations, or consensus with downstream countries,’” said Tamim Khallaf, a spokesperson for Egypt’s foreign ministry, calling the action a grave violation of international law that posed an existential threat.
In his letter, Trump wrote that he is “ready to restart U.S. mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve the question of ‘The Nile Water Sharing’ once and for all,” adding that “my team and I understand the significance of the Nile River to Egypt and its people.” He shared the letter on his social media platform.
Critics note that Trump’s repeated claims about having ended multiple international conflicts are exaggerated; he has previously listed Egypt and Ethiopia among disputes he says he helped avert. He recently told Fox News he counts flare‑ups such as tensions between Thailand and Cambodia as part of his tally of "ended" wars.
It remains unclear how Ethiopia, Egypt or the African Union will respond to the renewed U.S. offer. Any successful mediation would need to address technical water‑management details, seasonal flow variability, dam filling schedules and the broader political trust between the countries.
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