Cairo warns of consequences of fait accompli policy in water disputes

CAIRO - 9 March 2021: The African continent is among the regions hardest hit by climate change despite the fact that it is the lowest source of GHG emissions, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Tuesday.

He was delivering a speech on behalf of President Abdel Fattah at a virtual summit of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) to discuss climate change and the Western Sahara dispute.

The minister asserted the need for consolidating regional as well as international efforts to deal with climate change, given its detrimental effects on sustained peace and security in Africa, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

He also emphasized the need for greater inter-riparian cooperation to ensure sustainable utilization of water resources based on the rules of international law and the principle of good neighborliness.

Shoukry also warned of the consequences of any attempt to impose a fait accompli or exercise hegemony over shared water resources.

As for the Western Sahara issue, Shoukry underlined the need to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions in this respect, while supporting the Troika mechanism created by the African Summit hosted by Mauritania in July 2018 to promote UN-led efforts to preserve regional stability.