Congolese President and current chair of the African Union Felix Tshisekedi presented an initiative to resolve Ethiopia’s dispute with Egypt and Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The initiative was announced by Tshisekedi during his talks with Head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Sudan's Prime Minister Dr. Abdalla Hamdok in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
The Congolese initiative is currently being studied by the relevant authorities, a statement by the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council cited Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq as saying in a meeting with Tshisekedi in Khartoum.
Sadiq said Sudan stands by Ethiopia’s right in developing its capabilities, utilizing the Blue Nile water, and developing its resources. She added that this, however, should not harm the rights of Egypt and Sudan.
The FM voiced Sudan’s rejection of the Ethiopian unilateral steps taken last year concerning GERD and also of the Ethiopian plans to implement the next filling phase scheduled for July.
The minister said the concerned parties cannot “reap mutual benefits” from the dam project unless they reach a legal agreement that is binding for all of them, especially in terms of the filling and operation of the dam.
“Dr. Mariam highlighted Sudan’s belief that the Renaissance Dam project can be beneficial to the three countries and Africa in case it is based on consensus,” the statement said, noting that “this is what Sudan works for in the current period”.
Head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan earlier met with US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman where they discussed the GERD issue.
Burhan affirmed the need that the three countries reach a negotiated solution and achieve a binding agreement.
