Egypt’s FM hands Sisi messages on GERD to Nigerien, Senegalese presidents

CAIRO – 21 April 2021: As part of a six-state African tour, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met separately on Wednesday with the presidents of Niger and Senegal to hand them messages from their Egyptian counterpart on updates of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

Niger and Senegal are Shoukry’s fourth and fifth stops in his tour that included DR Congo, the current chair of the African Union, as well as Kenya and South Africa. Shoukry will also head to Tunisia as the final stop in the tour.

Shoukry met with President Macky Sall in the Senegalese capital of Dakar and handed him Sisi’s message, a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry read.

Further details about the meeting have not yet been announced officially.

وزير الخارجية #سامح_شكري يلتقي بالسيد ماكي سال رئيس السنغال ويسلمه الرسالة الموجهة إليه من السيد الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي.
🇸🇳 🤝 🇪🇬 @PR_Senegal pic.twitter.com/5s9jJngS8R

— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) April 21, 2021

Meeting with Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s newly elected president, Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s genuine political will during the meetings on the GERD, a separate statement by the ministry read.

This political will has aimed to launch serious negotiations that leads to a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam in a way that secures the mutual interests of the three concerned countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Shoukry handed Bazoum Sisi’s message briefing the Senegalese president on the updates of the GERD issue and the Egyptian stance in this regard.

“This comes within the framework of the Egyptian keenness to consult with the sisterly Niger in light of the special relations gathering them and Niger’s current non-permanent membership in the Security Council as a representative of the African continent,” the statement read.

Shoukry also conveyed Sisi’s congratulations to Bazoum on assuming his new post.

في خامس محطات جولته الأفريقية... وزير الخارجية #سامح_شكري يسلم السيد محمد بازوم رئيس جمهورية النيجر الشقيقة رسالة من السيد الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي.
🇳🇪 🤝 🇪🇬 @PresidenceNiger pic.twitter.com/IcmWNM4rGU

— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) April 21, 2021

Rounds of negotiations among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on GERD have reached a deadlock several times with Egypt blaming the failure on Ethiopia’s intransigence.

Egypt and Sudan insist that a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam should be reached before Ethiopia implements the second phase of dam filling.

Ethiopia, however, says it will complete the dam filling in July with or without an agreement.

Shoukry on April 13 sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council, calling on the international community to engage in advancing the stalled GERD talks and persuade Ethiopia to refrain from unilateral acts.