Egypt Watch

Egypt’s FM: Ethiopia refused mediations to solve GERD’s crisis

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that Ethiopia refused mediations to solve the Renaissance Dam crisis, which is stalled due to Addis Ababa’s insistence on a second filling of the dam with water in July.

According to local Egyptian media and newspapers, Shoukry’s speech came during the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee meeting.

During the meeting, the Egyptian Foreign Minister added that the Renaissance Dam crisis is suffering from Ethiopia’s intransigence, and Addis Ababa refused to engage with mediation to solve the situation without further explanation. Shoukry pointed out that the Egyptian policy is based on a long balance of foreign relations and a pioneering role in the region, but the world is witnessing changes.

Recently, Ethiopia announced its rejection of the four-way mediation presented by Sudan that includes Washington, the United Nations, and the European Union. Addis Ababa also rejected the African mediation which tried to solve the stalled negotiations months ago, amid repeated stumbling. Under the slogan that no force on earth will prevent us from building and filling our dam, the Ethiopian News Agency announced, in early April, the launch of a global campaign on social media in support of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced its determination to proceed with the second filling of the Renaissance Dam in July, based on the declaration of principles it signed with Egypt and Sudan in 2015. These developments come after the failure of the recent tripartite talks that were held in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, between the downstream countries of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Addis Ababa insists on a second filling of the dam with water next July, even if no agreement is reached. On the other hand, Egypt and Sudan adhere to first reaching a tripartite agreement to preserve their water facilities and ensure the continued flow of their annual share of the Nile water, estimated at 55.5 billion cubic metres and 18.5 billion cubic metres respectively.