Page 10 - AfrElec Week 26 2021

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Tunisia, Norway make offer

to break GERD deadlock

ETHIOPIA TUNISIA and Norway have offered to consider UNSC would be the last option available within
taking the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam the diplomatic framework.
(GERD) dispute to the July session of the United Jerandi also discussed the GERD issue with
Nations Security Council (UNSC). Shoukry on the sidelines of the ministerial meet-
The country’s foreign minister met on the ing of the Global Coalition against Daesh, which
sidelines of the meetings of foreign and devel- was also held in Rome.
opment ministers of the Group of 20 countries Shoukry and Jerandi agreed on continuing
in Italy. coordination on regional issues and coordinat-
They also discussed coordinating stances ing stances with other UNSC members so that
with other UNSC member states on the GERD they urge the GERD dispute parties to resume
issue, the Tunisian foreign ministry said in a consultations.
statement. These consultations should aim to find a
The initiative would support Egypt and fair and permanent solution to the issue, which
Sudan’s efforts to bring the issue to the UNSC, would secure the interests of all parties and their
after years of diplomatic impasse with Ethiopia. rights to the Nile water, they agreed.
This move comes as Ethiopia has reiterated its The Egyptian and Tunisian ministers affirmed
plans to implement the second phase of dam fill- the need to bilaterally coordinate in light of the
ing next month. Egypt and Sudan, however, have UNSC’s possible role in the GERD issue, espe-
warned against such step before a legally-binding cially as Tunisia is currently a non-permanent
deal is reached among the three countries on the member of the council.
filling and operation of the mega dam. Earlier in June, Egyptian and Sudanese offi-
They urged the UNSC to dissuade Ethiopia cial stated their deep concern about Ethiopia’s
from proceeding with filling the dam without proposed filling and operation of the GERD this
reaching a legal deal with downstream countries. summer without first reaching a binding legal
At the start of June, Ethiopia rejected the Arab agreement.
League’s call for the GERD hydropower dispute Meanwhile, the US has also become involved.
with Egypt to be referred to the United Nations The US envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Felt-
Security Council (UNSC). man, in May called on the three countries to find
Addis Ababa wants to continue with the exist- a solution to their dispute over the Grand Ethi-
ing African Union negotiating framework, even opian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, which
though Cairo claims it has broken down and has threatened to destabilise relations between
wants to bring in the UN. them.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Feltman said that US President Joe Biden was
media statements this week affirmed that the “serious in settling such a sensitive issue.”™

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