On Tuesday, Ethiopia announced its rejection of a resolution by the Arab League backing Egypt and Sudan’s water security amid a deadlock in negotiations over the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In a statement, the Ethiopian foreign ministry said it is “dismayed” by the resolution of the Arab League following an extraordinary meeting held in Doha, describing the regional organization’s positions on the dam as “misguided.”
“As a result of its egregious support to the baseless claims of Egypt and Sudan regarding GERD, the Arab League has already squandered its opportunity to play a constructive role,” the Ethiopian ministry said.
It said that the “Nile is a shared resource and not an exclusive property of Egypt and Sudan."
“That is why it is perplexing that the Arab League places particular emphases on the water security of the downstream countries in complete disregard to the rest of the Nile riparian countries,” it added, describing the organization’s approach as “unhelpful and misguided.”
The Ethiopian response comes hours after the Arab League said following a meeting of Arab foreign ministers over the dam crisis in Doha that Egypt and Sudan’s water security was an integral part of Arab national security.
In a resolution, the Arab League stressed its rejection of any measures that would undermine the water share of Egypt and Sudan, in reference to Ethiopia’s planned second filling in July despite the lack of an agreement between the three countries on the filling and operations of the dam.
It has also called for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to intervene in the crisis which risks aggravated tensions in the region.
Follow the latest news on Google News
