Dialog is the only solution towards solving The GERD issue: Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan

CAIRO – 14 July 2021: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan said, Wednesday that Dialog is the only solution towards solving The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

He added in statements to Al-Arabiya channel that Sudan is keen on the stability of its surroundings, especially in Ethiopia."

Al-Burhan affirmed that ‘the military component’ in Sudan is committed to supporting the democratic transition in the country.

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.

The US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg said, Tuesday that Washington believes that the African Union is the most appropriate institution to deal with The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

He added in statements to Sada al Balad news channel, that the US is ready to make any political or technical contributions to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia as part of their negotiation process.

He noted that the United States cannot impose any solution on the three countries, but they need to resume their talks to reach their own negotiated solution.

He called on the three counties to refrain from making any statements or unilateral actions that may halt the talks.