Cairo: Ethiopia backed out on agreements formerly made regarding GERD

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Sep 2023 00:06

Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced the end of the new round of negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without making any significant progress.

A general view of the Maspero Television Building on the banks of the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 25, 2022 (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

The Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced, on Sunday, that the new round of negotiations for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) did not result in significant progress, noting that the round witnessed an Ethiopian retreat from previously reached agreements during the negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan.

A statement published by the ministry confirmed the end of the activities of the tripartite ministerial meeting regarding the GERD noting that the concluded negotiating round "did not result in significant progress," and that it witnessed "an Ethiopian tendency to retreat from a number of agreements previously reached between the three countries within the framework of the negotiating process."

The statement also stated that Ethiopia continued "to refuse to accept any of the proposed compromise solutions, as well as the internationally agreed upon technical arrangements, which would meet Ethiopian interests in connection with the Renaissance Dam without violating the rights and interests of the two downstream countries."

The series of negotiations was held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on September 23 and 24, with the participation of negotiating delegations from Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia.

The reinitiation of talks concerning GERD follows an agreement made in July between Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This agreement committed the three nations to finalize a dam agreement within a four-month timeframe, as outlined in a joint statement.

In recent comments, Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, affirmed Egypt's commitment to these negotiations, emphasizing a sincere desire to reach a mutually advantageous and equitable agreement.

Egypt's announced primary objectives include the protection of its national interests, ensuring water security, and safeguarding the rights of its citizens while also recognizing the legitimate interests of Ethiopia and Sudan.

Sewilam stated that such an agreement should serve as a catalyst for development and prosperity for all three nations.

In this context, Sewilam emphasized that Ethiopia's unilateral resumption of GERD filling, without a pre-established agreement governing filling and operation in accordance with the 2015 Declaration of Principles, constitutes a breach of international law.

This unilateral action has cast a negative shadow over the ongoing negotiation process and poses a threat to its ultimate success, according to the minister.