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IHCHR Report: 5 Million Orphaned Children in Iraq

Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) headquarters (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) headquarters (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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IHCHR Report: 5 Million Orphaned Children in Iraq

Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) headquarters (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) headquarters (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) released its recent report on the unfortunate situation in Iraq regarding the overall conditions of the population.

The Commission announced that five million children are orphaned in Iraq, about five percent of the total orphans in the world.

The report also indicated that there were one million child laborers, 45,000 children without identification documents, including children with ISIS-affiliated parents, and 4.5 million children whose families are below the poverty line.

IHCHR received 5,000 domestic violence complaints, according to the report.

IHCHR official Ali al-Bayati told Asharq Al-Awsat that the report based its number on various indicators from international and local organizations.

The number of orphans was based on UNICEF figures. The rest of the indicators were based on the statistics of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and UN agencies or complaints received by the Commission.

The Commission also recorded a poverty rate of 25 percent of the total population, including the Kurdistan Region, and an unemployment rate of nearly 14 percent. In addition, 596 civilians were killed as a result of the violence.

Since 2014, 8,000 persons have been reported missing in Iraq. The Commission indicated that the Iraqi authorities did not conduct the necessary investigations to reveal their fate or help their families.

The Commission also reported the arrest of ten activists and journalists and received 900 complaints related to torture and ill-treatment in prisons without the authorities conducting an investigation.

The country needs 3.5 million housing units to overcome its housing crisis and 8,000 schools to adequately address students' needs, and the overall dropout rate from learning institutions was 73 percent in 2021.

In addition, there are about 4000 slums inhabited by about half a million families, most of which are concentrated in Baghdad.

In 2021, 175 people died due to the COVID-19 hospital fires in Baghdad and Nasiriyah, the report added.

There have also been 2,152 reported fatalities in traffic accidents during the same period, given the lack of developed roads across Iraq and the increasingly unplanned import of cars which significantly increased traffic accidents.

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Arab World

Iraq Announces Arrest of ISIS Leader

An image from a video published by the Iraqi Army's Security Media Cell after the arrest of an ISIS leader in Kirkuk on Monday.
An image from a video published by the Iraqi Army's Security Media Cell after the arrest of an ISIS leader in Kirkuk on Monday.
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Iraq Announces Arrest of ISIS Leader

An image from a video published by the Iraqi Army's Security Media Cell after the arrest of an ISIS leader in Kirkuk on Monday.
An image from a video published by the Iraqi Army's Security Media Cell after the arrest of an ISIS leader in Kirkuk on Monday.

The Iraqi armed forces announced Monday the arrest of an ISIS leader in Kirkuk, on the second day of a security operation launched in the northern provinces of the country to impose security and stability in areas outside the army control.

“The Armed Forces were able to arrest the leading terrorist, Abu Bukhari, in Kirkuk governorate,” the country’s Security Media Cell said in a statement.

It said that “a precise intelligence operation” was carried out by Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service and in coordination with the security forces of the Kurdistan Region and resulted in the arrest of ISIS commander Abu Bukhari in Kirkuk.

On Sunday, Iraq launched a large-scale operation to impose security and stability in areas outside the control of its security forces in the north of the country.

Intelligence information reports the presence of several “security-free” areas that had turned into a haven for militants in Iraq.

A security expert said that Sunday’s operation was part of the pursuit of hundreds of ISIS remnants who fled to areas they believe are far from the reach of the Iraqi security forces.

On Sunday, a Popular Mobilization Forces statement said a force from the Kirkuk and East Tigris Operations Command in the PMF, with the participation of units of military engineering, anti-explosives, and military intelligence, in cooperation with Salah al-Din Operations Command, launched a large security operation on Al-Aith Island in Salah al-Din governorate.

The statement added: “The operation was launched from six location points, with the help of an army force and a force from the Counter-Terrorism Service.”

The Arab World news agency quoted a military intelligence officer as saying that when ISIS controlled the area, a large number of youth from Al-Aith joined the terrorist organization.

After Iraq liberated those areas, Al-Aith remained a haven for ISIS members fleeing from other regions, said the officer, who requested anonymity.

Also on Monday, the Security Media Cell reported in a statement that a force from the Kirkuk and East Tigris Operations Command in the PMF, found three headquarters of ISIS gangs in Al-Aith area, east of Salah al-Din.

 

Arab World

UN Invitation to Burhan Encourages Coups, Says Sudan’s Hamdok

Smoke rises above buildings after an aerial bombardment during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army, in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters)
Smoke rises above buildings after an aerial bombardment during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army, in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters)
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UN Invitation to Burhan Encourages Coups, Says Sudan’s Hamdok

Smoke rises above buildings after an aerial bombardment during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army, in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters)
Smoke rises above buildings after an aerial bombardment during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army, in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 1, 2023. (Reuters)

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok condemned the United Nations' invitation to army leader Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to attend the General Assembly meetings in New York.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, he warned that this move sends extremely dangerous signals that encourage military coups in Africa.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, was signed by members of the Sovereign Council, including Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman, Al-Tahir Hajar, and Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, and ministers who were overthrown by the October 2021 coup in Sudan. The coup was led by the military and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

They stressed that the invitation blatantly contradicts global stances that reject the coup, which halted Sudan's democratic transition.

In the letter, Hamdok's transitional civilian government emphasized that the coup led to a complete constitutional downfall in Sudan, giving rise to a de facto regime, which later collapsed with the outbreak of war on April 15. The war was a direct result of the military coup.

The letter also referenced the positions of the African Union (AU), the UN Security Council, and the European Union (EU), that rejected the coup and demanded that power return to civilians.

The letter added that inviting the army leader to represent Sudan at the General Assembly contradicts declared international positions, warning that it could prolong the ongoing war and send very dangerous signals that encourage military revolts across Africa.

In wake of the coup, the African Union suspended Sudan's membership and the US and the World Bank froze assistance to Sudan, demanding a return to civilian rule.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the RSF announced on Monday the downing of a Sudanese MiG military jet, as fighting with the army escalated in various regions around the capital, Khartoum.

The RSF has for days been waging an assault to capture the army headquarters in the area.

Residents of neighborhoods near the headquarters in central Khartoum reported violent clashes and exchanges of artillery fire around the facility.

Witnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat that the army used drones to strike the attacking forces and successively hit an RSF camp south of Khartoum.

In a statement on the X platform, the RSF confirmed the downing of the military jet, the second such incident in two days.

The RSF said the downed aircraft had carried out attacks against innocent civilians, continuously wreaking havoc on public facilities and marketplaces.

It further alleged that remnants of the National Congress regime, led by Burhan, have adopted a scorched earth policy, deliberately targeting residential neighborhoods, markets, and vital facilities, resulting in the deaths and injuries of thousands of innocent civilians.

Arab World

Jordanian Ministers Resign in Preparation for Cabinet Reshuffle

Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh
Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh
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Jordanian Ministers Resign in Preparation for Cabinet Reshuffle

Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh
Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh

Jordanian government ministers, on Monday, tendered their resignations in anticipation of a cabinet reshuffle, marking the seventh such reshuffle since the formation of Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh’s government in October 2020.

Meanwhile, government sources have ruled out any changes affecting sovereign portfolios.

The ministerial shake up comes just days after the announcement of the fourth and final session for the Jordanian parliament, whose constitutional term concludes next summer.

This development occurs amidst active party dynamics aiming to participate in upcoming elections.

The electoral law has allocated 41 seats in the upcoming parliament out of a total of 138 exclusively for the party lists.

While it is almost certain that at least two current members of the House of Representatives will join the new ministerial team, sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the new ministers will take their constitutional oath before Jordan’s monarch, King Abdullah, on Tuesday.

Sources indicate that Khasawneh’s move to introduce at least two current members of the House of Representatives into the reshuffle may set the stage for an impending confrontation between the two branches of government.

This is especially significant given the desire of other parliamentarians to secure ministerial positions.

As the House of Representatives approaches the end of its constitutional term starting in mid-July, the situation is further complicated by the constitutional requirement to hold parliamentary elections within the four months preceding the end of the House’s four-year term.

The final results for the current House of Representatives were declared on November 15, 2020.

Including lawmakers into the ministerial team requires them to first submit their resignations from parliament before they can take the constitutional oath before the King.

This requirement stems from constitutional amendments approved at the beginning of 2022, which expressly prohibit holding both parliamentary and ministerial positions concurrently.

The current House of Representatives marks a historical departure from previous parliamentary bodies, as it underwent changes with the removal of two deputies, the lifting of parliamentary immunity for MP Imad Al-Adwan, who faces charges of smuggling weapons to Israel, and the passing of two other deputies.

Khasawneh’s leadership may pave the way for the continued connection between the government’s term and that of parliament members. This is particularly notable because the past three parliamentary sessions have completed their constitutional terms.

However, it's worth noting that the previous parliament only dealt with two different government heads: Hani Mulki, who resigned in mid-2018 amidst public protests against the income tax law, was replaced for the remaining two years of the eighteenth parliamentary session by then Prime Minister Omar Razzaz.

Regarding the expected ministerial reshuffle, sources have hinted at possible changes.

These include the departure of ministers responsible for information and water resources, the separation of the Ministry of Transport from the Ministry of Public Works, and the separation of the Ministry of Labor from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply.

However, sources have not definitively confirmed the rumors regarding ministerial reshuffling.

Among the parliamentarians, Omar Al Ayasra from the governorate of Jerash in northern Amman and Khair Abu Saelik from the fourth district in Amman are considered strong contenders for cabinet positions.

Arab World

Arab Countries Condemn Tearing up of Quran in The Hague

20 April 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal: A view of the Holy Quran at a Mosque. (dpa)
20 April 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal: A view of the Holy Quran at a Mosque. (dpa)
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Arab Countries Condemn Tearing up of Quran in The Hague

20 April 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal: A view of the Holy Quran at a Mosque. (dpa)
20 April 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal: A view of the Holy Quran at a Mosque. (dpa)

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned on Monday an extremist group for tearing up copies of the holy Quran in front of various embassies in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the repeated desecration of the Quran, saying such “provocative and reckless” acts are offensive to millions of Muslims and only stoke hatred.

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Dutch government to take responsibility to stop these actions.

It emphasized the importance of monitoring hate speech that negatively impacts peace and security, read a statement carried by the UAE state news agency (WAM). Furthermore, the Ministry expressed its rejection of the use of freedom of expression as justification for such heinous acts.

It underscored the UAE's rejection of all practices aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles. It reaffirmed that hate speech and extremism contradict international efforts to spread the values of tolerance, coexistence and peace between peoples.

It underscored the need to respect religious symbols and avoid incitement and polarization at a time when the international community needs to work together to reiterate a commitment to upholding the universal principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. The Ministry emphasized that these principles should be promoted and implemented to achieve stability and sustainable development.

The Ministry remarked that hate speech and extremism are closely linked to the spread and escalation of conflict.

Bahrain strongly condemned the tearing up of copies of the Quran.

A Foreign Affairs Ministry statement reiterated a call to stop such hateful provocative actions, viewing them as incitement to hostility and religious and racial hatred.

Such acts contradict international efforts aimed at promoting the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and mutual respect between peoples and cultures, it added.

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Egypt expressed its “deep disappointment” in the tearing up of the Quran, saying it was the “latest in a series of crimes against Islam and its sanctities.”

In a statement, it added that such crimes “demonstrate that some western governments are not determined and not serious about consolidating values of world peace and peaceful coexistence that the al-Azhar has been trying to promote.”

It called on “all western governments and people, as well as the entire world, to deeply study Islam and understand its message in a way that reflects the modernity and civility that these countries claim to represent.”

Saudi Arabia had strongly denounced the tearing up of the Quran.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the Kingdom’s total rejection of such hateful and repeated acts, saying that these cannot be accepted under any justifications.

“Such acts clearly incite hatred and racism, and directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, and moderation, apart from rejecting extremism, and undermining the necessary mutual respect for relations between peoples and countries,” the ministry said in a statement reported by SPA.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned the “heinous” tearing up of the Quran, reiterating its call on the international community to stand against such acts that “provoke Muslim sentiments and spread hatred under the excuse of freedom of expression.”

In a statement on the X platform, it underlined the importance of cooperation between all nations to confront such acts.

Oman echoed concerns that such acts incite violence and hatred.

Arab World

Iraqi PM May Visit Russia Before US Trip

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani walks on to the podium to address world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani walks on to the podium to address world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Iraqi PM May Visit Russia Before US Trip

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani walks on to the podium to address world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani walks on to the podium to address world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, 2023 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

Russian and Chinese officials have intensified their talks with their Iraqi counterparts in wake of the announcement that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was invited to visit the White House.

The Iraqi delegation at the United Nations General Assembly had received the invitation from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein when the invitation was made. He informed him that “Moscow was ready to welcome Sudani within a few weeks.”

In fact, Russia had first invited Sudani to visit Moscow back in July, said a statement by the Russian Ambassador in Baghdad Elbrus Kutrashev.

Russia was keen on confirming the invitation as Iran upped its pressure on Iraqi officials “over issues that Sudani should bring up when he meets US President Joe Biden” at the White House.

A joint statement by Lavrov and Hussein said Sudani’s visit to Moscow would be an opportunity to discuss political and economic issues of common interest.

A leading member of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework in Iraq told Asharq Al-Awsat that Moscow has increased its activity in the country in recent months.

It is in alignment with Tehran over the need to “neutralize” western investment projects in the region, explained the official.

Back in January, Hussein said relations between Iraq and Russia were strong in spite of the sanctions on Moscow and the criticism against it over its conflict with Ukraine.

Some 50 Russian companies operate in Iraq in developing oil fields and exploring and drilling for oil.

Arab World

Lebanon Arrests Individual Who Fired on US Embassy Last Week 

An external view of the entrance of the US Embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, Lebanon, 21 September 2023. (EPA)
An external view of the entrance of the US Embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, Lebanon, 21 September 2023. (EPA)
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Lebanon Arrests Individual Who Fired on US Embassy Last Week 

An external view of the entrance of the US Embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, Lebanon, 21 September 2023. (EPA)
An external view of the entrance of the US Embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, Lebanon, 21 September 2023. (EPA)

Lebanon's security forces have arrested at least one individual involved in a shooting at the US embassy last week, two security sources told Reuters.

One security source said the individual was a Lebanese man. The second security source said ammunition he had in his possession had also been seized.

The shooting, which did not result in any injuries, occurred late on Wednesday near the highly secured US embassy north of Beirut, in the town of Awkar. Security incidents around the facility are rare.

US ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea said on Friday the embassy was not intimidated by the incident.

"We know that authorities are investigating this incident," Shea said after meeting Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, who condemned the shooting.

Washington moved its embassy to Awkar from Beirut following a 1983 suicide attack in Lebanon's capital that killed more than 60 people.

Arab World

Egypt to Vote for President in December

Vehicles pass under a billboard supporting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the coming presidential elections, erected by Egypt's political party of Homat Watan, the Protectors of the Nation, in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 4, 2023. (AP)
Vehicles pass under a billboard supporting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the coming presidential elections, erected by Egypt's political party of Homat Watan, the Protectors of the Nation, in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 4, 2023. (AP)
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Egypt to Vote for President in December

Vehicles pass under a billboard supporting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the coming presidential elections, erected by Egypt's political party of Homat Watan, the Protectors of the Nation, in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 4, 2023. (AP)
Vehicles pass under a billboard supporting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the coming presidential elections, erected by Egypt's political party of Homat Watan, the Protectors of the Nation, in Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 4, 2023. (AP)

Egypt will hold a presidential vote on Dec. 10-12, the elections authority said on Monday, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi widely expected to win reelection.

Sisi, 68, can stand for a third term due to constitutional amendments in 2019 that also extended the length of presidential terms to six years from four.

Election results are expected to be announced on Dec. 18 and, in the event of a runoff round, final results should be announced on Jan. 16 at the latest, the election authority said.

Though Sisi has not formally announced his candidacy, pro-government parties have started a campaign including billboards around Cairo backing his reelection.

Four other candidates have expressed an intention to run, most prominently a former member of parliament, Ahmed Eltantawy.

Others who announced their bid include Abdel-Sanad Yamama, head of the Wafd party, one of Egypt’s oldest; Gameela Ismail, head of the liberal Dostour, or Constitution, party; and Farid Zahran, head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party.

Former army chief Sisi became president in 2014, the year after the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, following protests against Morsi's rule.

Arab World

Libya's Top Prosecutor Says Several Officials Jailed as Part of Probe into Dams' Deadly Collapse

Derna flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi looks at the destroyed homes following flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)
Derna flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi looks at the destroyed homes following flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)
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Libya's Top Prosecutor Says Several Officials Jailed as Part of Probe into Dams' Deadly Collapse

Derna flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi looks at the destroyed homes following flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)
Derna flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi looks at the destroyed homes following flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)

Libya’s chief prosecutor said Monday he ordered the detention of eight current and former officials pending his investigation into the collapse of two dams earlier this month, a disaster that sent a wall of water several meters high through the center of a coastal city and left thousands of people dead.

The two dams outside the city of Derna broke up on Sep. 11 after they were overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, which caused heavy rain across eastern Libya. The failure of the structures inundated as much as a quarter of the city, officials have said, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

Government officials and aid agencies have given estimated death tolls ranging from more than 4,000 to over 11,000. The bodies of many of the people killed still are under rubble or in the Mediterranean, according to search teams.

A statement by the office of General Prosecutor al-Sidiq al-Sour said prosecutors on Sunday questioned seven former and current officials with the Water Resources Authority and the Dams Management Authority over allegations that mismanagement, negligence and mistakes contributed to the disaster.

Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, who was sacked after the disaster, was also questioned, the statement said, The Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors ordered the eight to be jailed pending the investigation, the statement added.

The dams were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, a river valley which divides the city.

The World Health Organization says more than 4,000 deaths have been registered dead, including foreigners, but a previous death toll given by the head of Libya’s Red Crescent was at 11,300. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says at least 9,000 people are still missing.

The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arab World

Syrian Observatory: Int’l Coalition Arrests Two ISIS Commanders in Hasakah

An American patrol tours Hasakah, northeastern Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An American patrol tours Hasakah, northeastern Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Syrian Observatory: Int’l Coalition Arrests Two ISIS Commanders in Hasakah

An American patrol tours Hasakah, northeastern Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An American patrol tours Hasakah, northeastern Syria. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Sunday that the International Coalition forces arrested two ISIS commanders in an airdrop operation on a village near the city of Ras Al-Ain, northern Hasakah.

According to SOHR sources, one of the arrested commanders is Iraqi, while the other is Syrian.

Arab World

GERD Dispute Takes Center Stage at UN Amid Ongoing Negotiations

GERD Dispute Takes Center Stage at UN Amid Ongoing Negotiations
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GERD Dispute Takes Center Stage at UN Amid Ongoing Negotiations

GERD Dispute Takes Center Stage at UN Amid Ongoing Negotiations

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue has again become a global concern discussed at the UN General Assembly, as Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia launched a new round of negotiations.

The issue was highlighted in speeches by the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Ethiopia amid doubts about progress in the current round, aiming to reach an agreement by the end of November.

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, focused on the GERD crisis, addressing Egypt's severe water scarcity and 98 percent dependency on the Nile River.

Shoukry highlighted Egypt's annual water deficit, which is more than 50 percent of its water needs, forcing the country to reuse its limited available water multiple times.

The top diplomat reiterated Egypt's rejection of Ethiopia's unilateral practices on filling the GERD and its attempts to use the dam to impose a fait accompli "when it comes to the lives of over 100 million Egyptians."

The country needs to reuse water and import "virtual water," estimated at $15 billion annually, in the form of food.

He recalled that Ethiopia has unilaterally, and without previous impact studies, built a Grand Renaissance Dam, noting that Cairo is trying to reach a binding agreement on the rules of its operation while also considering the interests of the neighboring countries.

For his part, Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen Hassen emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, welcoming the resumption of trilateral talks with Egypt and Sudan regarding the dam.

He affirmed Ethiopia's commitment to collaborate with its neighbors in trade, investment, and regional integration.

Negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia regarding the dam have been ongoing since 2011, but extensive negotiation rounds have yet to produce an agreement.

The talks halted in 2021 but resumed upon mutual agreement between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last July. They aim to agree on the dam's filling and operation within four months.

Despite these efforts, the issue remains contentious. Ethiopia announced this month the completion of the dam's fourth and final filling stage, a move criticized by Egypt.

Experts such as the former Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Nasereddine Allam, believe the negotiations may not yield any new outcomes.

Allam told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt's focus on reintroducing the GERD issue at international forums reflects the challenges of the water situation in the country.

He highlighted that Egypt's share of Nile waters provides about 500 cubic meters per person annually, half of the minimum water poverty level defined by the World Bank.

The former official pointed out that the circumstances in Sudan and Egypt need to offer more leverage to resolve this regional crisis, noting that resorting to the Security Council will not provide a decisive solution.

Negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have been suspended since January 2021.

Egypt resorted to the Security Council in July 2020, but the Council merely urged the three countries to resume negotiations at the request of the African Union (AU), aiming to finalize an acceptable and binding agreement for all.

Meanwhile, former Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ali al-Hafni confirmed that despite the Security Council not taking a decisive decision regarding the GERD dispute, the UN and the Security Council are the "international reference."

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hafni said Addis Ababa has not responded to the efforts of many African Union chairpersons over multiple terms, pushing Cairo to rely on the international community, especially given the exacerbating climate crises and the escalating regional water risks.

He asserted the need to update the international community about the crisis's developments continuously.