New round of talks on contentious Nile dam starts in Cairo

CAIRO – The irrigation ministers of three key Nile basin countries have kicked off high-stakes negotiations in Cairo about Ethiopia’s soon-to-be-finished mega-dam project, which Egypt says threatens its water supply.

Joining the ministers Monday were American and World Bank officials.

It’s the second round of technical talks on the dam since a breakdown prompted Egypt to appeal for international mediation. The White House stepped in last month, hosting the foreign ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, who agreed to move talks forward.

Months of meetings have so far failed to yield consensus on the dam’s most contentious issues, including a timetable for filling the reservoir. Egypt fears Ethiopia’s $5 billion project, set to be Africa’s largest hydraulic dam, could reduce its share of the Nile, a lifeline for Egypt’s 100 million people.