Egypt requested a meeting of the Security Council at the “earliest opportunity” to immediately consider the situation resulting from the lack of an agreement with Ethiopia, which is preparing to fill and operate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Egypt said Ethiopia's continued intransigence is a threat to “international peace and security,” asserting that Cairo has explored every possible way to reach an amicable solution to the situation.
The 62-pages memo was written by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and sent by Egypt’s permanent representative at the UN Mohammed Idris to the head of the Security Council.
Asharq Al-Awsat obtained a copy of the letter and its annexes, which warned that the situation is a threat to international peace and security and requires immediate consideration of the Security Council.
Egypt invoked article 35 of the UN Charter which entitles UN Member States to alert the Security Council to any “situation that might lead to international friction or that is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security.”
The letter explained that Egypt has selected to bring this matter to the attention of the UN Security Council having explored and “exhausted every avenue of reaching an amicable solution to this situation by concluding an agreement on the GERD that presents and promotes the rights and interests of the three riparian states of the Blue Nile.”
Shoukry said that contrary to the assertions of Ethiopian Foreign Minister, the failure of negotiations on the GERD is due to Ethiopia's persistent policy of obstructionism and prevarication.
Shoukry did not detail the misinterpretations and distortions of the fact included in the Ethiopian Minister’s paper, rather chose to “highlight the reality that Egypt has engaged, in a spirit of good faith, for almost a decade, in innumerable rounds of negotiations on GERD.”
He noted that these efforts have not led to fruition because of Ethiopia's unilateralism and its desire to impose a fait accompli.
In a further demonstration of Egypt’s genuine political will to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, Cairo invited neutral third parties to participate in the negotiations and expressed its readiness to accept any compromise formulas or agreements proposed by those impartial parties.
In February, Egypt accepted and initialed an agreement on the filling and operations of the GERD, under the auspices of the US and the World Bank.
However, Ethiopia undermined these efforts to reach a mutually beneficial agreement on the GERD and continues to insist on unilaterally commencing the impoundment of waters in the reservoir.
The letter warned that this would be deeply disconcerting politically, as it would represent an alarming attempt by Ethiopia to establish and exercise unfettered control over a vital transboundary river.
Moreover, it would constitute a material breach of the agreement concluded between the three countries in 2015 which stipulates that the “filing and operation of the GERD must be undertaken pursuant to the guidelines and rules to be agreed between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.”
“For Egypt, a country of more than 100 million souls that is entirely dependent on the Nile River for its existence, such a situation would be intolerable. Moreover, it is deeply troubling that the GERD is being constructed without having completed the requisite studies on the hydrological and environmental impacts of this dam, and without the necessary guarantees to ensure its structural safety.”
It reiterated that Egypt remains committed to exerting every effort to reach a fair and balanced agreement on the GERD.
“I must emphasize that the UN Charter entitles UN Member States to protect their vital national interests and ensure their survival.”
