Trump writes to ‘favourite dictator’ Sisi, offers to mediate between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River waters

US President Donald Trump wrote to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Friday and offered to mediate a dispute over Nile River waters between Egypt and Ethiopia.

"In the spirit of our personal friendship and America's commitment to peace and the well-being of Egypt's people, I am ready to restart US mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve the question of 'The Nile Water Sharing' once and for all," he wrote to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a letter that was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account.

“My team and I understand the deep significance of the Nile River to Egypt and its people, and I want to help you achieve an outcome that assures the water needs of Egypt, the Republic of the Sudan, and Ethiopia, long into the future,” Trump wrote.

“The United States affirms that no state in this region should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile, and disadvantage its neighbors in the process,” the letter read.

Hopeful of a “lasting agreement”, Trump further mentioned in his letter that he believes that with the right technical expertise, fair and transparent negotiations, and a strong United States role in monitoring and coordinating between parties, “we can achieve a lasting agreement for all Nile Basin Nations.”

“A successful approach will guarantee predictable water releases during droughts and prolonged dry years for Egypt and the Sudan, while allowing Ethiopia to generate very substantial amounts of electricity, perhaps some of which can be given, or sold, to Egypt and/or the Sudan,” the US President said.

Trump, who had once called Sisi “my favorite dictator”, thanked the Egyption President for his leadership in successfully mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Ethiopia, the continent's second-most populous nation with more than 120 million people, sees the $5 billion dam on a tributary of the Nile as central to its economic ambitions.

Egypt says the dam violates international treaties and could cause both droughts and flooding, a claim Ethiopia rejects.

Trump has praised Sisi in the past, including during an October trip to Egypt to sign a deal related to the Gaza conflict. In public comments, Trump has echoed Cairo's concerns about the water issue.

(With inputs from agencies)