Ethiopia Rejects Sudanese New Proposal on GERD

In a defiant move, Ethiopia rejected on Tuesday the Sudanese quartet mediation proposal on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

 

In a statement, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said that the country has the full legal right to use its water resources in a fair and equitable manner without harming the downstream countries.

 

The ministry added that the GERD crisis can be solved through the ongoing negotiations under the auspices of the African Union (AU), explaining that the issue does not require the invitation of other parties as mediators, in reference to Sudan's quartet mediation proposal.

 

It is worth mentioning that, Sudanese Minister of Irrigation Yasser Abbas has welcomed Egypt’s support for the quartet mediation proposal in Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), stressing that negotiations are still possible.

 

In an exclusive interview with ‘Al-Arabiya’ news website on Sunday, the Sudanese minister said that GERD should be ‘a gesture of regional cooperation and not a tool for political hegemony.’

 

It is worth mentioning that, Ethiopia commented, Wednesday, on the joint statement issued by Egypt and Sudan on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

 

In press statements, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dina Mufti said, “Ethiopia believes in continuing the negotiations in a positive spirit through the African Union (AU) headed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

 

Al-Mufti also affirmed that Ethiopia ‘is ready to negotiate in a good faith’ to reach a binding legal agreement with Egypt and Sudan on GERD.

 

The Ethiopian comment comes after Egypt and Sudan foreign ministers (FMs) demanded, on Tuesday, Ethiopia to show goodwill and engage in an effective negotiation process.

 

The two countries underlined the importance of reaching a binding legal deal on the filling and operating of the GERD that would achieve the interests of the three countries and preserve the water rights of Egypt and Sudan.