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GERD talks set to resume in April in Kinshasa

POLAND SUDAN, Egypt and Ethiopia are set to hold talks opportunities” between the countries on the files
on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethio- of political and economic co-operation.
pian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Kinshasa in Meanwhile, Arab governments issued a state-
early April. ment supporting Egypt’s position on its water
Ethiopian Ambassador in Cairo Markos supplies.
Tekle Rike said this week that the Democratic Saudi Arabia said that “water security is
Republic of Congo (DRC), which currently an inseparable part of the security of the Arab
chairs the African Union (AU), would host the world,” adding that the kingdom “supports any
negotiations. efforts that contribute to closing the GERD file
The meeting will bring together the irriga- and take care of the interests of all parties,” before
tion ministers and could also include foreign stressing “the necessity of resuming negotiations
ministers. to reach a fair settlement.”
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah The same statement of support was echoed
el-Sisi said this week that Egypt still wanted to by Yemen, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, stressing
retain its water rights in the Nile and would not Egypt’s water security.
agree to any reduction in water flows. The United Arab Emirates is attempting to
“Egypt’s water is untouchable. Harming play a mediator role in the GERD issue. Its gov-
Egypt’s waters is a red line,” Sisi said. “If anyone ernment said that it showed “great concern and
were to take a single drop from Egypt, there will interest in continuing the constructive diplo-
be a state of instability in the region that no one matic dialogue and productive negotiations to
can imagine.” overcome any differences on GERD between
Despite striking an antagonistic tone, Sisi the three countries.”
emphasised that he was not issuing a threat, stat- In January, the UAE approached Sudan and
ing that Egypt and Ethiopia are still interested in Ethiopia with a proposal to act as an intermedi-
negotiations and both sides should be cautious of ary between the two, in an attempt to calm bor-
the long-term toll of “aggressive” solutions. der tensions that have flared up in recent months
“Aggressive solutions are ugly and have over the fertile Fashaqa region.
repercussions that extend for years. What we The UAE included the dam issue as part of
demand does not go beyond international laws this proposal, with the possibility of including
and standards regulating transnational waters,” Egypt in UAE-sponsored talks.
Sisi said. Meanwhile, Sudanese officials met US Spe-
The Ethiopian ambassador’s comments in cial Envoy for Sudan Ambassador Donald Booth
Cairo come as Addis Ababa makes increased and head of the European Union Delegation to
efforts to explain its position to the Egyptian Sudan, Ambassador Robert van den Dool, to
public. discuss GERD and Sudan’s border tensions with
“Rather than copying unbalanced and over- Ethiopia.
rated reports and politically motivated misin- Their visit comes amid a push, proposed ini-
formation, you can just approach our embassy tially by Sudan and joined by Egypt, to include
to ask us about issues. As two African countries, the US, the EU and the UN in a quartet of medi-
reporting badly on each country is not the best ators alongside the AU to sponsor the GERD
situation,” he added. negotiations. Ethiopia is more lukewarm on this
Rike said that there were “huge available issue.™

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