On Wednesday, Ethiopia refused to “internationalize the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” while stressing that the construction of the dam is an existing fact that will not change, and that its construction will not affect Egypt or Sudan.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that whenever the filling of the Renaissance Dam approaches, the issue begins to be internationalized and that Ethiopia does not respect international laws.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Meles Alam, said in a press conference that the Renaissance Dam is a reality and its construction will not cause any harm to Sudan and Egypt.
He stressed that Ethiopia is still working to find an African solution to the issue.
On the other hand, the Ethiopian Agency quoted the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Misganu Arga, as saying that Addis Ababa’s position is consistent with the necessity of continuing the tripartite negotiations under the auspices of the African Union.
The Ethiopian diplomatic official claimed that “Egypt’s attempt to politicize the waters of the Nile and the dam does not benefit any party,” during his meeting with the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Musa Fakih Mohamed.
Negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are still stalled, after the last session between the three countries was held in mid-2021 under the auspices of the African Union, without reaching an agreement.
As a result, Cairo and Khartoum escalated the matter to the Security Council, which adopted a statement in September of the year 2021, in which it urged Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to resume negotiations, at the invitation of the African Union, with the aim of finalizing an acceptable and binding agreement for the parties, and quickly, regarding filling and operating the Renaissance Dam, but this has not been achieved so far.