The International Crisis Group published on 21 January 2026 an article titled "Egypt Applauds U.S. Promise to Mediate in Deadlocked Nile Dispute" by Michael Wahid Hanna.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed the 16 January letter from President Donald Trump to mediate the Nile waters dispute involving Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. The mediation offer reflects Egypt's core concerns while giving little detail as to how Washington could broker a settlement.
People's Dispatch published on 20 January 2026 a commentary titled "US Re-Engages in GERD Dispute as Tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt Escalate" by Nicholas Mwangi.
The author notes that so far Ethiopia has not publicly commented on the most recent US offer to mediate the dispute.
Comment: When the United States tried to mediate this dispute during the first Trump administration, Ethiopia perceived that Washington favored the Egyptian position and rejected the outcome. It has little incentive for accepting US mediation in a second Trump administration.
