ADDIS ABABA — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held high-level talks with U.S. President Donald Trump today in Washington, where regional security, diplomacy and shared strategic interests were on the agenda.

The visit comes amid renewed U.S. interest in mediating the long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Nile water sharing, with Trump publicly offering to restart American mediation efforts between Egypt and Ethiopia. The issue has dominated diplomatic discussions in recent weeks, as Cairo and Khartoum have expressed support for Washington’s renewed role. 

While official statements focused on broader cooperation, commentary from Ethiopia reflected concern about the growing geopolitical dynamics surrounding the GERD issue.

Political analyst Dessalegn Chanie said in a social media post that Cairo’s mobilization of diplomatic and geopolitical leverage, particularly in the wake of the Trump-Sisi meeting, underscores an increasingly challenging environment for Ethiopia’s national interests.

“While we await further clarity in the coming months on the so-called ‘planned negotiations’ over the GERD/Nile water, the reality on the ground is clear,” Dessalegn wrote. “Egypt is currently exerting its full diplomatic and geopolitical muscle against Ethiopia, creating a complex environment that will undoubtedly challenge our national interest objectives.”

In his bilingual commentary, Dessalegn also criticised what he described as “unprecedented silence” from Ethiopia’s government and foreign affairs leadership on these developments, saying the nation faces a “difficult period” without adequate public information or visible national preparedness. 

The GERD, Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, has been a flashpoint in Nile Basin diplomacy for nearly a decade. Ethiopia maintains the dam is essential for development and energy generation, while Egypt and Sudan fear it could jeopardise their water security without a binding agreement on filling and operation. 

Egypt welcomed Trump’s renewed engagement on the issue, with President al-Sisi reportedly valuing the U.S. offer to mediate and stressing Cairo’s commitment to constructive cooperation based on international law. 

Ethiopian government officials have not yet issued a formal public response to the outcome of the Trump–Sisi talks or to Dessalegn’s critique.