New scoop from me: US considering halting non-humanitarian aid to Ethiopia over Nile dam dispute with Egypt

Officials described to me behind scenes confusion & discord over US policy since Trump began mediating talks, & clashes between State & Treasury https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/22/trump-administration-africa-aid-ethiopia-egypt-gerd-nile-sudan-dispute-negotiations/

The idea of cutting off aid to Ethiopia at such a precarious point in its political transition has angered some US official, who say the administration is confusingly & unnecessarily siding with Egypt in the dam dispute

Further complicating things, Trump abruptly picked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to lead the talks during a phone call with Egypt's Sisi last year, not State, which handles diplomacy

Treasury insists it is coordinating closely with State, and the US is acting as an impartial mediator to help Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan resolve this dispute. Egypt has in the past hinted at using military force to halt the dam project so negotiations important

Admin officials said U.S. has played important role in advancing negotiations. “The Trump administration’s engagement has helped Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan make more progress in negotiations over the last nine months, than the last nine years,” one admin official said

I think US role on GERD negotiations an interesting & overlooked case study in how Trump administration handles diplomacy - Trump's personal relationships with leaders, untraditional moves on who leads negotiations, interagency rivalries all come into play