Sudan Dismisses Ethiopia’s Argument in Rejecting Int’l Mediation on GERD

Sudan reiterated its rejection of any “unilateral filling of the dam reservoir that would threaten the lives of its citizens and water installations.”. (AFP)
Sudan reiterated its rejection of any “unilateral filling of the dam reservoir that would threaten the lives of its citizens and water installations.”. (AFP)
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Sudan Dismisses Ethiopia’s Argument in Rejecting Int’l Mediation on GERD

Sudan reiterated its rejection of any “unilateral filling of the dam reservoir that would threaten the lives of its citizens and water installations.”. (AFP)
Sudan reiterated its rejection of any “unilateral filling of the dam reservoir that would threaten the lives of its citizens and water installations.”. (AFP)

Sudan found Ethiopia’s refusal to form a quartet committee to mediate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) talks absurd, considering its argument “unconvincing.”

It reiterated its rejection of any “unilateral filling of the dam reservoir that would threaten the lives of its citizens and water installations.”

Sudanese Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Yasser Abbas urged Addis Ababa to accept its proposal to expand the mediating parties to include the European Union, the United Nations, the United States and the African Union.

He said these parties might make a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations between the three countries.

Ethiopia has refused to involve the quartet in GERD talks and considered the step an attempt by Cairo and Khartoum to delay the dam’s second filling process. It renewed its commitment to the AU-led talks.

In a speech marking World Water Day on Monday, Abbas noted that the dam talks have so far faltered due to the negotiation methodology, adding that Sudan has repeatedly demanded expanding the role of the AU to facilitate talks and reach a legally binding agreement among the concerned parties.

He warned Ethiopia that the unilateral filling of the reservoir threatens electricity generation from Sudan’s Merowe Dam and Roseires Dam and endangers the lives of 20 million Sudanese people.

The dam should not be a source of regional instability, Abbas said, but a source of cooperation and good neighborliness.

Egypt and Sudan are calling for a legally binding agreement on the GERD’s filling and operation to guarantee their water rights, while Ethiopia refuses to commit to any agreement that limits its ability to develop its resources.

Sudan has hinted it may resort to other legal options, including the UN Security Council or international arbitration, if Addis Ababa proceeds in the filling process.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has sent formal letters to the four international parties to formally request their mediation on GERD issue.

Addis Ababa plans to fill the dam reservoir with 13.5 billion cubic meters of water in the upcoming rainy season, almost three times the amount of the first filling in 2020.



Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday, the State Department said.

Dermer updated Blinken on operational changes and policy decisions taken by Israel in response to a US letter sent in October, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.