Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasser Abbas said on Wednesday that he will continue separate bilateral meetings with his Egyptian and Ethiopian counterparts to arrange for the resumption of negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which stalled in February.
The meetings come as part of Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdock’s May initiative with his Egyptian and Ethiopian counterparts to resume GERD negotiations.
Abbas denied that the memorandum submitted by Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Asmaa Abdullah to the UN Security Council is an escalation against the negotiating parties. He also denies that it reflects taking sides.
Abbas added that the memorandum is proof of Khartoum’s inherent right to this important file, especially since Egypt and Ethiopia had submitted similar letters to the Security Council in May.
The minister stressed that the letter asked the Security Council to “urge all parties to refrain from taking any unilateral measures that may affect regional and international peace and security”.
He affirmed Sudan’s willingness to resume tripartite negotiations on GERD in good faith to reach a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement.
Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Security Council President, which included an explanation of the country’s position on developments related to GERD negotiations.
The letter included details of the initiative adopted by Hamdouk to accelerate the resumption of negotiations at the ministerial level, which found approval from his counterparts in Egypt and Ethiopia.
The letter stressed Sudan’s principled commitment during negotiations, which is based on discussions in good faith. This comes out of the country’s conviction in the importance of establishing a solid base for cooperation between the three countries.
The letter stressed Sudan’s commitment to the rules of international law stipulated in the UN Convention on the use of international watercourses for non-navigational purposes. This includes the fair and reasonable use of water resources, whilst refraining from causing serious dangers to other countries, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The letter called on the Security Council to support Sudan’s efforts to resume negotiations in good faith in order to reach a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement by all parties.
