Sisi tells Congolese president Egypt only took GERD issue to Security Council due to Ethiopian 'intransigence,' fait accompli attempts

CAIRO – 7 July 2021: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi Wednesday that Egypt and Sudan took the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue to the Security Council because of Ethiopia’s intransigence and attempts to impose a fait accompli.

In a phone call, Sisi and Tshisekedi discussed the GERD issue hours ahead of the Security Council session. Sisi said that Ethiopian intransigence resulted in the faltering of negotiations under the auspices of the African Union.  

Sisi said the move is meant to enhance the African Union’s leadership of negotiations in cooperation with the participating countries and entities to ultimately have an effective role in directing the discussion and help the three countries reach a binding agreement in a specific timeframe on the filling and operation of the dam.

The Congolese president, the current chairperson of the African Union, said the Egyptian and Sudanese moves at the Security Council will support African solutions to Africa problems, emphasizing the need for concerted efforts to empower the African Union’s path towards an agreement for the three nations and avoiding the destabilization of the region.

Tshisekedi expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts within the framework of the negotiation process to ensure its success to ultimately reach a solution to the GERD crisis.

They both agreed on continuous coordination between Egypt and Congo to find a balanced and fair agreement.

Negotiations with Ethiopia went on for ten years, reaching a deadlock every time as Ethiopia evades signing a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD as well as the protection of downstream countries’ water shares.

The terms of the resolution proposed by Tunisia on behalf of the Arab League at the Security Council include:

1 – Demand that Ethiopia cease the second filling of the GERD

2 – Demand that Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia resume negotiations.

3 – Reach a binding agreement on GERD in six months.

4 – Demand that the three countries stop any measure that delays negotiations.

5 – Demand that Ethiopia stop unilateral decisions.