New Dimensions in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Negotiations: Ontological Security in Egypt and Ethiopia

The preponderant focus of the negotiations between Ethiopia and Egypt over the use of the Nile/the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is on material aspects of water security, ignoring non-material, emotional attachments. Using ontological security as an analytical lens, it is argued that the GERD will lead to re-structuring Egypt’s state identity conception while potentially serving as an anchor to Ethiopia’s changing ontological security. If the negotiations are to transform interactions and build a cooperative routinized relationship more time and resources should be spent on building trust, especially in constructing more compatible state identities.