Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the government of Ethiopia’s decision to begin filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in July 2020 without the agreement of other countries through which the River Nile runs, and (2) the possibility of further such unilateral actions; what representations they will make to the government of Ethiopia to prevent further unilateral actions being taken in relation to the GERD; what assessment they have made of the status of the multilateral negotiations on the GERD led by the African Union; and what plans they have to raise issues regarding the management of the Nile in the United Nations Security Council.

The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.