The US is ready to offer political, technical support to GERD negotiations: Regional Spokesman

CAIRO – 13 July 2021: The US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg said that Washington believes that the African Union is the most appropriate institution to deal with The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

He added in statements to Sada al Balad news channel, Tuesday that the US is ready to make any political or technical contributions to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia as part of their negotiation process.

He noted that the United States cannot impose any solution on the three countries, but they need to resume their talks to reach their own negotiated solution.

He called on the three counties to refrain from making any statements or unilateral actions that may halt the talks.

He noted that the US administration is fully aware of the importance of Nile River waters to both of Egyption and Sudanese people and therefore they are welling to offer all need technical and political support.

Warburg also stressed that Washington wants to see negotiations that will lead to real results, as these kinds of negotiations cannot take more long-term period.

On July 8, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart, Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi delivered speeches at the United Nations Security Council, explaining the threats the Ethiopian dam poses on their peoples and water rights in case no binding agreement is reached among their three countries.

The UNSC member states’ ambassadors also affirmed the need for the quick resumption of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam talks under the auspices of the African Union and some offered help in the issue.

UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga said the GERD parties still couldn’t reach an agreement on filling and operation of the dam despite their negotiations and previous Security Council recommendations.

He said the Arab League called on Ethiopia not to take any unilateral measures to fill GERD without reaching a binding agreement but in response Addis Ababa refused the AL statement and called on sticking to the AU mediation.

DR Congo’s representative at the UNSC, for his part, said the GERD establishment poses threats for Sudan and Egypt, who rely heavily on the Nile River, which led to tensions during the past years.

The African Union took several initiatives to reach an agreement on the Renaissance Dam but there are still a number of points about filling and operation of the dam are still in dispute between the three countries, the Congolese representative said.

DR Congo’s representative said 90% of the technical problems on the GERD have been solved already and the three countries only have to agree on the rest of legal and technical aspects.