Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reiterated his country’s support for dialogue regarding the Nile dam issue, specifically the USD 5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the inauguration of which drew strong reactions from Egypt.
President Mohamud attended the event, joining three other East African leaders and others to witness the operationalization of the 170-meter-tall, 1.8-kilometer-long hydroelectric dam, which has the capacity to generate 5,150 megawatts of power. He hailed the dam as a regional asset that could foster cooperation among neighboring countries.
Since then, President Mohamud has been under increasing diplomatic pressure, particularly from Arab media, as Egypt ramped up its criticisms and threats against Ethiopia over the dam, which it views as a “unilateral action” on the Nile.
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In a September 16 interview with Saudi-based Al Arabiya, President Mohamud emphasized that Somalia’s normalization of ties with Ethiopia should not be seen as conflicting with its “strategic partnership” with Egypt. “Somalia supports dialogue over the Nile dam issue,” he said, suggesting that he could serve as a mediator between Cairo and Addis Ababa in the future.
According to President Mohamud, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assured him of Ethiopia’s readiness to engage in dialogue with any concerned party over the dam.
The president emphasized that the dam presents an opportunity for regional collaboration. At the GERD inauguration ceremony, he stated, “The dam has brought the region together on an issue of common importance: how we manage, share, and benefit from the resources that sustain our nations’ prosperity.” He added, “For us this gathering is not about the success of one project, but about a shared responsibility. Water and natural resources cross borders, binding our destinies and futures. Development in this region should be guided by cooperation, not competition.”
Ethiopia and Somalia have been working to normalize their relations, a process facilitated by Turkish mediation beginning in January 2025. This follows a rupture in ties after Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the self-declared state of Somaliland in 2024.
In response to growing tensions, Egypt has offered Somalia security guarantees and stationed military personnel within the country. Additionally, Egypt has contributed troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), an AU-led, UN-authorized peacekeeping mission that replaced ATMIS as of January 1, 2025.
