Tunisia Expresses Support to Egypt in Reaching Agreement on GERD

A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on Dec. 26, 2019. (AFP)
A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on Dec. 26, 2019. (AFP)
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Tunisia Expresses Support to Egypt in Reaching Agreement on GERD

A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on Dec. 26, 2019. (AFP)
A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on Dec. 26, 2019. (AFP)

Tunisia has expressed its support to Egypt in reaching an agreement over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Tunisian Ambassador to Cairo Mohamed ben Youssef said the dam is a matter of national security to Egypt and Sudan.

The last round of talks in April between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over the dam ended with no progress. They failed to reach an agreement regulating the filling and operation of the dam, which Addis Ababa built on the main tributary of the Nile to generate electric power, prompting Egypt and Sudan to urge the United Nations Security Council to tackle the crisis.

In televised statements, ben Youssef said his country’s stance on the GERD stems from its duty towards its major sisterly country Egypt.

He stressed that Tunisia hopes to reach a legally binding agreement that takes into account the rights of the three concerned countries.

Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia for almost 10 years to conclude a legal agreement.

Earlier this year, the Ethiopian government announced the completion of the second filling of the GERD reservoir.



UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
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UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk arrived in Syria's capital, Damascus, on Tuesday for the first ever visit of the global body's rights chief to the country.

Turk, an Austrian lawyer, will visit Syria and Lebanon from Jan. 14-16 and meet with officials, civil society groups, diplomats and UN bodies, the UN statement said, without giving further details.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was driven from power by a lightening opposition offensive last month, ending 50 years of family rule and raising hopes for accountability for crimes committed during Syria's more than 13 year civil war.

According to Reuters, under Assad, many UN officials and rights groups were denied access to the country to investigate alleged violations.

A spokesperson for Turk's office did not immediately provide further details of how many times he or his predecessors had tried to gain access to the country. The role of High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1993.