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Ethiopia Rejects UN Intervention in GERD Dispute

President of South Sudan Silva Kiir receives Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty in Juba on Friday, June 25, 2021. (Egyptian government)
President of South Sudan Silva Kiir receives Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty in Juba on Friday, June 25, 2021. (Egyptian government)
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Ethiopia Rejects UN Intervention in GERD Dispute

President of South Sudan Silva Kiir receives Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty in Juba on Friday, June 25, 2021. (Egyptian government)
President of South Sudan Silva Kiir receives Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty in Juba on Friday, June 25, 2021. (Egyptian government)

Ethiopia slammed both Egypt and Sudan in a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council, accusing them of making false allegations about the dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile.

In a statement on Friday, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said the letter expressed its rejection to the latest attempts by Cairo and Khartoum to involve the UN in the African dispute.

“Egypt and Sudan’s recent actions are simply a continuation of a well-orchestrated scheme to undermine the African Union-led process and eventually declare it ineffective,” it said.

Since the AU-led negotiation kicked off over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egypt and Sudan have tried to disrupt the process by bringing up unrelated matters in the discussions, the letter read.

They unnecessarily securitized and internationalized the issue and let the Arab league to intervene to further complicate the issue, it claimed.

The statement pointed to Addis Ababa’s rejection of any UN intervention, saying the AU must resolve the dispute.

It further stressed that the second filling of the dam reservoir will move forward as scheduled in the upcoming rainy season in July.

Cairo and Khartoum insist on reaching a legally and binding agreement on the dam. They fear the potential negative impact of GERD on the flow of their annual share of the Nile’s 55.5 billion cubic meters of water.

Earlier this month, the Arab League called on the Security Council to meet soon to address the dispute.

In contrast, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi called on the Security Council to meet as soon as possible to tackle the GERD and “its impact on the safety and security of millions of people.”

On June 11, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry sent a letter to the president of the Security Council to brief him on the latest developments in this regard.

Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Aty refuted Ethiopia’s “allegations” that the dam will provide electricity for its citizen and the neighboring countries.

During his meeting with President of South Sudan Silva Kiir on Friday, he stressed that officials in Addis Ababa have been highlighting the importance of the dam in power generation, while the government seeks to export this power.

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Arab World

As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.