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Egypt and Ethiopia move

further apart over GERD

ETHIOPIA EGYPT has urged Ethiopia to resume the stalled the dam issue and playing a political gamble,”
negotiations on the GERD hydro project on the and said that some of them even “seem as if they
Nile and has even suggested referring the matter are longing for a war to break out.”
to the UN Security Council. Andargachew said that by writing to the Secu-
Egypt has taken this action after it has accused rity Council, Egypt and Sudan have broken the
Ethiopia of failing to take its neighbours’ con- spirit of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) that
cerns into account and of advancing the project the three countries had agreed in 2015, which
on a purely unilateral basis. called for joint efforts to overcome differences.
Egypt said in a letter to the Security Council Egypt is maintaining its position that it wants
that it had urged Ethiopia to return to talks, in reassurances from Ethiopia that the GERD pro-
order to reach a “fair and balanced” solution on ject will not threaten Egypt’s water security rights
the crisis. and or harm the economic interests of Egypt or
Egypt also said filling the dam without an Sudan.
agreement could put Egypt in a “clear” danger. The latest talks broke down on June 17, with
“We are not seeking any coercive action by Egypt’s Water Resources Minister Mohamed
the Security Council,” Shoukry told Associated Abdel Aaty accusing Ethiopia of taking “rigid”
Press (AP). stances on the technical and legal sides.
Sudan also wrote to the Security Council this He said Addis Ababa had failed to agree on
week, asking it to “discourage all parties from any binding legal mechanism to settle disputes.
unilateral actions, including starting the filling Also this week, foreign ministers from a num-
of the reservoir before reaching an agreement.” ber of Arab countries urged Ethiopia to avoid fill-
Sudan also said it was “deeply concerned ing the reservoir of the GERD before reaching an
about Ethiopia’s decision to start filling the agreement.
GERD reservoir in the absence of an agreement.” The ministers rejected any action or measure
However, Ethiopia is adamant that it will that would affect the rights of all parties regard-
continue with the GERD project. Last week, ing the Nile’s water.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew Ethiopia wants the $4.8bn megaproject on
said that his country would press ahead with fill- the Blue Nile, which would have 6,000 MW of
ing the dam in July and completing the project, capacity when completed, to make it Africa’s
which is 90% finished, with or without any agree- largest power exporter.
ment from Egypt. US mediation has so far failed, with talks
“For us it is not mandatory to reach an agree- in Washington in March not achieving any
ment before starting filling the dam, hence we breakthrough.
will commence the filling process in the coming UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
rainy season,” Andargachew said. has also sought to persuade Egypt, Ethiopia and
In heated comments, Andargachew accused Sudan to reach a joint agreement.™
Egyptians of “exaggerating their propaganda on

Week 25 25•June•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P9