Ethiopian envoy criticizes Sudan, Egypt for undermining AU efforts to find solution GERD

Addis Ababa, July 15, 2021 (FBC) – The Ethiopian Ambassador to Uganda Alemtsehay Meseret has castigated Sudan and Egypt for undermining the African Union efforts to find a lasting solution over the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) differences by running to the United Nations Security Council to seek for its intervention.

The ambassador made the remarks recently while addressing a virtual media press conference from her office in Kololo, Kampala, Uganda.

The ambassador noted that attempt made by Sudan and Egypt to take the GERD issue to the UN Peace and Security Council by mobilizing the League of the Arab States would unnecessarily internationalize and securitize the matter.

“The trilateral negotiation on the GERD is conducted with Ethiopia’s initiative and Ethiopia is fully committed to continue the negotiation in good faith to reach a mutually acceptable win-win outcome,” she said.

She further explained that the involvement of the African Union to solve persisting differences of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan was a welcome as Ethiopia is an ardent supporter of the notion ‘African solutions for African Problems’.

“It is also an opportunity for the three countries to strengthen the Union and show the world that Africans can solve their problems by themselves”.

The ambassador however noted that to the contrary and against the wish of Africans, both Egypt and Sudan relentlessly campaigned to take the issue away from the African Union in the midst of its efforts.

“For Ethiopia, this approach of undermining the African Union is unacceptable. Ethiopia strongly believes that the AU is capable of facilitating the negotiations and brings the process to a successful outcome,” the ambassador emphasized.

She added that in the last one year, the trilateral negotiation under the auspices of the African Union has offered the three countries to better understand each other’s concerns and address some of the outstanding issues.

She maintained that the internationalization and securitization of the dam will not help the three countries to reach to a win-win solution.

Ethiopia says the $4.6 billion project (GERD) is its flagship development project with extraordinary national significance for the future of its economic and energy security.

Some 65 million Ethiopians, which account nearly 60% of the population, have no access to electric power.
Ethiopia generates 77 billion meter cube of water per year which is 86% of the water contribution of the Nile.

The country says it plans to impound the river with a small fraction of the annual inflow should not have been contested. The GERD is expected to generate 6450MW after completion.

Source: commandonepost