NEW YORK – Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariam El Sadeq el Mahdy asserted the necessity of reaching a binding deal on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Addressing a UNSC session on the dam issue at the request of Sudan and Egypt, Mariam voiced her country’s appreciation for the role and efforts exerted by the African Union since it was involved in the negotiation process with the three countries.
She said Sudan is acknowledging the rights of its neighbor (Ethiopia) to utilize the Nile waters at present and in future plans, noting that Khartoum has been supporting the building of the dam since its beginning but on the condition that its operation and filling are being done in accordance with a legal agreement based on the international law and the principles of just and fair management of water resources.
The Sudanese top diplomat said the GERD is a mega African project that could be a model of fruitful cooperation for more than a quarter billion of African citizens.
She underlined the importance of clinching a legal agreement on such project in a way that could provide protection for human safety in Egypt and Sudan.
Building a giant dam with a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters and close to the Sudanese borders could pose a direct threat to the communities there and their safety, she added.
She also underscored the dangers of Ethiopia’s first filling of the dam in 2020 with 5 billion cubic meters of water, leading to a reduction in the Blue Nile rates which caused a halt of three water stations in Khartoum.
The minister also warned against the dire political and economic consequences of such filling process without an agreement
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