Egypt-Ethiopia relation beyond judicial oversight: SCA

CAIRO – 16 May 2017: Egypt’s political relation with Ethiopia and the management of the Renaissance Dam file are sovereign acts that fall outside the competence of the judiciary, the State Commissioners Authority stated Monday.

The statement emphasized that the steps taken by the Egyptian government concerning water security and how the Egyptian state, represented by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and the cabinet of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, deals with the Ethiopian file are not subject to judicial oversight.

“Acts of sovereignty are not subject to judicial oversight in order to maintain the internal stability of the state and protect its international sovereignty and supreme interests,” the statement read, adding that these issues should not be publicly discussed in courts.

The statement explained that the state’s political authority has two functions, one as a governing entity and the other as an administrative power. While the latter is subject to judicial supervision, the first function is excluded, as it is linked to Egypt’s internal and foreign sovereignty.

The State Commissioners Authority also called for the administrative court to issue a ruling of non-competence in the lawsuit accusing Egypt’s president and prime minister of jeopardizing Egypt’s future and national security through their management of the Ethiopian situation.

Tension has escalated between Egypt and Ethiopia over the construction of the latter’s Grand Renaissance Dam, a project Cairo believes will negatively affect its share of Nile River water. Ethiopia, however, pressed ahead with the construction of the dam, which is now more than halfway done.

In a meeting with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu in April, Sisi stressed the importance of reaching a consensus concerning the Ethiopian Dam. The president said that it is important for the two countries to cooperate in order to use common water resources of the Nile in the best way possible and in a way that achieves the development of all countries.