Egypt Watch

GERD crisis: Egypt calls for an urgent UN Security Council session and receives a disappointing response

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council, on Thursday, to discuss immediately the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis, days before the second filling of the dam. “The situation forms a pressing threat for international peace and security and demands immediate discussion by the UN Security Council,” said Egypt’s FM Sameh Shoukry, in a letter to the council sent on 25 June. Shoukry called for the necessity of holding an urgent session for security and peace in Africa, asserting that Ethiopia’s attitude is causing an international disagreement. “Accordingly, Egypt has raised this issue with the UN Security Council in accordance with Article 35 of the UN Charter,” he said.

In response, French UN Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said that the council will likely meet next week to discuss a dispute between Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt over the dam built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile. However, De Riviere, the council president for July, said that there was little the council could do other than bring the parties together and then encourage them to return to negotiations to reach a solution.

One week ago, Addis Ababa addressed the council complaining about Egypt and Sudan’s hostile attitude towards Ethiopia and holding them responsible for the African Union-sponsored negotiations failure.