FM in letter to UNSC: Cairo rejects Addis’ unilateral policies on dam

Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aati has sent a letter to the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following recent statements by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the fifth phase of filling Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam.

‏The foreign minister reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of Ethiopia’s unilateral policies, which run counter to all rules and principles of international law and constitute a clear violation of the Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, the Sudan and Ethiopia in 2015 and the Security Council’s presidential statement issued on September 15, 2021.

‏He described as unacceptable the Ethiopian prime minister’s statements on keeping amounts of Blue Nile water this year behind the dam and completing the concrete structure of the project, adding that such statements represent a continuation of the policy that raises concerns to neighbours and destabilises a region whose countries favour co-operation and integration instead of sowing the seeds of sedition seditions and differences between peoples bound together by fraternal ties and common destiny.

‏The letter sent to the Security Council indicated that after 13 years of Egypt negotiating the issue with faithful intentions, the negotiations track came to an end as it became clear to all the Addis Ababa wants only to keep a negotiating cover for an indefinite period with a view to sustaining the status quo without the existence of a political will to reach a solution and also to confer legitimacy upon unilateral policies that contradict international law.

‏Minister Abdel-Aati reasserted that Egypt has always been at the forefront of supporting development in the Nile Basin countries, adding that development can be achieved by all in case there is adherence to co-operative practices reflected in international law, avoidance of causing harm to others, and the promotion of regional integration.

‏The foreign minister affirmed that Ethiopia’s illegal policies will have negative, dangerous consequences on the two downstream countries, Egypt and the Sudan. He also noted that despite the rising levels of Nile floods in recent years and the tremendous efforts the Egyptian state has made to address the negative impacts of the unilateral actions by Ethiopia pertaining to the dam over the recent years, Egypt will keep closely following up the developments and stands ready to adopt whichever measures and steps provided for under the UN Charter to defend its existence and the potentials and interests of its people.

‏Meanwhile, the Higher Committee for Nile Water convened a meeting last week under the chairmanship of the prime minister, and reaffirmed Egypt’s rights to safeguard its water security and take necessary measures to achieve this goal on various levels. The committee discussed ways to enhance co-operation in the Nile Basin region, emphasising Egypt’s belief in the need for concerted efforts to attract funding for carrying out developmental projects in line with internationally approved co-operative practices.