Inaccurate statements of Sudanese FM astonish Shoukry

CAIRO – 22 November 2017:Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry expressed his astonishment on Wednesday at the inaccurate statements of the Sudanese foreign minister about Sudan’s water share in the Nile.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour stated on Tuesday in an interview with Russia Today that Egypt has used Sudan’s share in the Nile for a long time according to the 1959 accord, adding that Egypt is worried about losing this share after the construction of the Renaissance Dam.

Shoukry pointed out that Sudan has been using its full share which is 18.5 billion cubic meters for a long time.

“In previous years, the absorptive capacity of Sudan for its share was incomplete, and a part of it was flowing into the riverbed in Egypt willingly, after Sudan has expressed consensus. This was actually a burden and imposed danger on the High Dam due to the unexpected increase in the storage capacity, especially at the time of the flood,” added Shoukry to MENA.

"Egypt had to discharge these excess quantities into the riverbed or in Toshka behind the dam, in vain," said Shoukry.

The Egyptian foreign minister added that it is surprising that the Sudanese foreign minister views this critical issue while taking the position of the debtor, especially that the water relations between the two countries are unsetteled. Shoukry demanded an explanation for the launch of such inaccurate statements at this time.

Cairo hosted a Tripartite National Committee on Renaissance Dam (TNCRD) meeting on November 12. They met to discuss the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. However, the meeting ended without reaching consensus. The meeting has become a subject of concern among experts, parliament members, and former officials.

Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Ati, said that TNCRD did not reach an agreement on adopting guidelines. The guidelines were indicated in a report prepared by a technical committee on the effects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile Basin States after two days of talks.

Abdel-Ati declared that Egypt approves of the report’s outcomes, but the Ethiopian and Sudanese did not express consensus and called for amendments. Egypt halted all negotiations and said that all future decisions are at the hand of the cabinet.