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Talks Over Ethiopia’s GERD Reached A Deadlock

Talks Over Ethiopia’s Nile Dam Hit Another Deadlock, Egypt Says Bloomberg

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia failed to agree on the way forward for talks on Ethiopia’s giant dam on a Nile River tributary, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The matter is being referred back to the chairman of the African Union, which is mediating the discussions, the ministry and Sudan’s state news agency SUNA both said.

 

Renaissance Dam talks resume after Sudanese blockage Arab News

The Sudanese delegation said it demanded a comprehensive agreement that addresses all issues related to the dam. It also said that the AU should play a more effective leadership role in the negotiation.

Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty met with the US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin last week to review negotiations on the GERD and Egypt’s desire to complete the negotiations.

 

GERD negotiations reach a dead-end. Ahram-Online

“Sudan insisted on the necessity of delegating the African Union appointed experts to present solutions to the disputed issues in the talks and to elaborate on the GERD agreement; something which both Egypt and Ethiopia rejected because the negotiation process, as well as the right to draft the texts and provisions of the filling and operating agreement of the GERD, are fundamental rights for the three countries,” said the Egyptian statement.

“We cannot continue this vicious cycle of round talks indefinitely, considering that the GERD represents a direct threat to the Roseires Dam, which has a reservoir capacity less than 10% of the GERD’s capacity if the filing and the operations of the GERD starts without an agreement and daily exchange of information,” said Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasser Abbas.

 

Sudan refuses to split GERD negotiations into two agreements. LomaZoma

Sudan refused Sunday to split agreements on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), for the first filling and permanent operation as two separate agreements.

“Sudan does not tolerate nor can it bear to proceed with endless negotiations, without results or solutions,” Abbas said.

 

Nile dam row: Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan fail to reach consensus on negotiation mechanism MENAFN

Sudan insisted on the need for mandated experts designated by the African Union (AU) to propose solutions to the contentious issues under negotiation, and to draft an agreement.

Both Egypt and Ethiopia rejected the Sudanese proposal, as they stressed the right of the three parties to formulate the agreement. This is especially as the AU experts have no experience in the technical issues related to the project.

The meeting concluded that the South Africa’s representative would submit a report to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the outcomes of the talks to consider the coming step.

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