Egypt Ups Int’l Pressure Over GERD

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)
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Egypt Ups Int’l Pressure Over GERD

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (AFP)

Egypt has continued its international escalation on the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The North African nation affirmed in its fourth letter regarding the GERD to the UN Security Council that “Ethiopia's unilateral actions regarding the filling and operation of the dam constitute an existential threat to Egypt and a threat to its stability.”

The address was sent by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the UNSC on the occasion of Ethiopia announcing the completion of the fourth filling of the GERD.

In the message, Egypt emphasized that “for the fourth time in a row, the UNSC is being informed of Ethiopia’s repeated violations of international law and agreements, including the 2015 Declaration of Principles concerning the dam.”

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had announced on September 10 the success of his country in completing the fourth and final filling of the GERD, a move criticized by Egypt at the time.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the fourth filling exhibits “disregard for the interests and rights of the downstream states (Egypt and Sudan) and their water security guaranteed by international law.”

Egypt’s letter on Friday clarified that Ethiopia’s latest move “constitutes a continuous violation of the Declaration of Principles that obligates Ethiopia to reach a legally binding agreement on the rules governing the filling and operation of the dam.”

It emphasized that Ethiopia’s continued unilateral practices could impact Egypt and its stability, thereby endangering regional and international peace and security.

The Foreign Ministry expressed “Egypt's unequivocal rejection of these actions taken by Ethiopia and its complete disregard for the UNSC statement, which called on Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to expeditiously reach a final, acceptable agreement on the filling and operation of the dam within a reasonable time frame.”

Ali Al-Hafny, Egypt’s former ambassador to China and a former deputy minister of foreign affairs for African affairs, pointed out that Egypt’s insistence on addressing the UNSC and keeping it informed of developments in the GERD issue “represents a genuine Egyptian right and the use of tools provided by international law for member states of the UN.”

Hafny, in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, clarified that the Foreign Ministry’s message conveyed a “clear and disciplined diplomatic and legal language.”

This language, he asserted, should hold the international organization accountable for its responsibilities towards regional peace and security, given that Ethiopia’s unilateral actions represent “a violation of international law and a direct threat to the rights of downstream countries protected by international transboundary river agreements.”

Hafny further explained that Egypt’s repeated recourse to the UNSC came only after exhausting all bilateral and regional avenues, and due to what he described as the African Union’s “inability” to find a solution to the crisis.

The dispute over the GERD dates back to 2011 when Ethiopia began construction of the massive hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile. For years, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia engaged in intermittent negotiations brokered by the African Union, but the talks collapsed in April 2021.



Lebanese Air Transport Union Denies Evacuation Rumors at Beirut Airport

Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
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Lebanese Air Transport Union Denies Evacuation Rumors at Beirut Airport

Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)

The Lebanese Air Transport Union on Wednesday denied rumors that it issued an evacuation request of the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, confirming that airport operations continue without disruption.
The Union denied in a statement “rumors that quoted chairman of the board of directors of the Middle East Airlines as requesting technicians and engineers to evacuate the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut and deport the planes.”
It said the rumors aim at spreading chaos at the airport and among the Lebanese. “We assure that the airport is operating normally", it stated.
Despite the ongoing Israeli hostilities in Lebanon and the mounting risks, Lebanon’s national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) continues to operate flights to and from Rafik Hariri International Airport.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both allied with Iran.
For nearly a year, the conflict was mostly contained to the areas along the border between Israel and Lebanon. The conflict dramatically escalated on Sept. 23 with intense Israeli airstrikes on south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, leaving hundreds dead and leading to the displacement of nearly 1.2 million people.