Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan still have time to resume negotiations on GERD: US Department of State regional spokesman

CAIRO – 12 July 2021: The US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg said that Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan still have time to resume negotiations on The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

In statements, Sunday, to the Privately-owned TEN news channel, he added that The United States is fully aware of the importance of the Nile River for Egyptian and Sudanese people and that it could not be ignored.

Warburg also noted that the solution should be a diplomatic and negotiated one.

He Pointing out that the UN Security Council session stressed the importance of GERD issue for Africa. He explained that the international community is fully aware of the importance of the Renaissance Dam for the Nile Basin region.

Warburg also pointed out that the United States calls on all parties to refrain from making any statements that would halt resuming dialogue, and there must be negotiations towards achieving real results and not only for the sake of dialogue.

On July 8, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart, Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi delivered speeches at the United Nations Security Council, explaining the threats the Ethiopian dam poses on their peoples and water rights in case no binding agreement is reached among their three countries.

The UNSC member states’ ambassadors also affirmed the need for the quick resumption of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam talks under the auspices of the African Union and some offered help in the issue.

UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga said the GERD parties still couldn’t reach an agreement on filling and operation of the dam despite their negotiations and previous Security Council recommendations.

He said the Arab League called on Ethiopia not to take any unilateral measures to fill GERD without reaching a binding agreement but in response Addis Ababa refused the AL statement and called on sticking to the AU mediation.

DR Congo’s representative at the UNSC, for his part, said the GERD establishment poses threats for Sudan and Egypt, who rely heavily on the Nile River, which led to tensions during the past years.

The African Union took several initiatives to reach an agreement on the Renaissance Dam but there are still a number of points about filling and operation of the dam are still in dispute between the three countries, the Congolese representative said.

DR Congo’s representative said 90% of the technical problems on the GERD have been solved already and the three countries only have to agree on the rest of legal and technical aspects.

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