Page 12 - AfrElec Week 41 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

HYDRO countries. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir revealed
She also expressed Sudan’s desire to resume on Sunday that Ethiopia would have started
Congo has not set date negotiation’s under the leadership of the the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
African Union as soon as possible, stressing
(GERD) negotiations in October but has
for resuming GERD at the same time to improve upon the current delayed it till now due to the war in the Tigray
region.
ineffective methodology.
negotiations: Sudan handed over to the foreign ministers of conference that was held in the presidential
Kiir’s statements were given in a press
During his tour, the Congolese minister
An official Sudanese diplomatic source said Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia a document palace after meeting with Egyptian President
on Saturday that the Democratic Republic prepared by a joint expert group from the Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi earlier on Sunday.
of the Congo, the president of the African Congolese presidency and the African Union “I was promised by Ethiopian Prime
Union and sponsor of the Grand Ethiopian Commission, which includes a summary Minister Abiy Ahmed that he would start
Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations of the points agreed upon between the negotiations this month on the GERD, but it
between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, has yet three countries, and the points that are still did not happen because of the war against the
to set a date for the resumption of GERD disputed, for the purpose of studying them Tigray People’s Liberation Front,” Kiir said.
negotiations. and express their views and positions. According to Kiir, The Ethiopian prime
The source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally minister is not in a good position now to
the Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe binding agreement, while Ethiopia says any move forward despite all his capabilities,
Lutundula visited Addis Ababa, Khartoum pact should be advisory. adding that Ethiopia is facing two problems
and Cairo in mid-September to resume Egypt and Sudan consider the dam a threat with Egypt and Sudan in addition to its
negotiations. to their vital water supplies, while Ethiopia problem with the Tigray.
Sudan welcomed the resumption of considers it essential for development and For his part, President El-Sisi stated that he
negotiations, but the Congolese side has doubling its electricity production. reiterated in his talks with his South Sudanese
not yet set any date for a new round of The downstream nations fear possible counterpart the necessity of reaching a legally
negotiations, they added. blows to water facilities, agricultural land, and binding agreement on the operation and filing
The sourced that Sudan has stressed that overall availability of Nile water. policies of the GERD.
the current negotiation methodology must “Reaching a legally binding agreement on
change as it has failed to progress over the past the GERD will boost stability in the region
ten years. for all and will open new ways of cooperation
The UN Security Council issued a between the Nile basin’s countries,” he said.
statement in mid-September on the GERD El-Sisi also stated that he expressed Egypt’s
dispute encouraging Egypt, Ethiopia and full support and solidarity with South Sudan,
Sudan to resume negotiations, under the HYDRO especially with the challenges it is facing from
President of the African Union to finalise the pandemic, floods, and food shortages,
a binding legal agreement on filling and Ethiopia would have as well as implementing the 2018 peace
operating the dam. agreement.
Following her meeting with Lutundula at started GERD negotiations He added that Cairo supports Juba in all
Khartoum, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mariam development fields, especially in irrigation,
al-Sadiq said that Sudan is participating in in October if not for Tigray health, education, and economy.
all rounds of negotiations with the aim of During the presser, Kiir praised the
reaching an agreement that preserves the conflict Egyptian companies in South Sudan and
interests of both riparian and upstream their contributions to its infrastructure
and development projects, from
highways networks, electricity grids,
telecommunications, and agriculture projects.
According to Kiir, South Sudan is looking
forward to fostering this kind of development
and providing support to these Egyptian
companies as an appreciation for their work in
the past few years.
The South Sudanese president also stated
that he discussed the latest developments in
Sudan how to tackle them.
“Egypt and South Sudan should start
consultations on how to support Chairman
of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council Abdel-
Fattah Al-Burhan to avoid the return of
clashes between opposition groups,” Kiir said.

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 41 14•October•2021