AU bid to broker Ethiopia dam deal gains U.N. Security Council support

Members of the United Nations Security Council approved African Union mediation efforts in a dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the operation of a massive hydropower dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia on Thursday, urging the parties to resume discussions.

After Ethiopia began filling the reservoir behind its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) for the second year earlier this week, Egypt and Sudan both called on the United Nations Security Council to assist in resolving the dispute. Ethiopia opposes any engagement of the Security Council.

“A balanced and equitable solution to the filling and operation of the GERD can be reached with political commitment from all parties,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council.

“This begins with the resumption of productive substantive negotiations. Those negotiations should be held under the leadership of the African Union, and should recommence with urgency,” she said, adding that the African Union “is the most appropriate venue to address this dispute.”

Many council ambassadors were hesitant to involve the body in the dispute – beyond hosting a meeting on Thursday for fear of setting a precedent that would allow other countries to seek Security Council assistance with water conflicts.

Ethiopia claims that the dam is essential for its economic development and power generation. Egypt, on the other hand, sees it as a serious threat to its Nile water supply, which it relies on nearly exclusively. Sudan, which is also downstream, is concerned about the dam’s stability and the impact it will have on its own dams and water stations.

Tunisia has offered a draft Security Council resolution calling for Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to reach a binding agreement on the dam’s operation within six months. It was unclear whether or not it would be put to a vote, and if so, when.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, has urged the UN Security Council to pass the resolution.

“We do not expect the council to formulate solutions to the outstanding legal and technical issues, nor do we request that the council impose the terms of a settlement,” he said. “This resolution is political in nature and its purpose … is to re-launch negotiations.”

Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, also urged the council to intervene by calling for the restart of talks and for Ethiopia to refrain from taking unilateral action.

Seleshi Bekele Awulachew, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy, claimed a deal on the $5 billion dam’s operation is “within reach,” and he called it “regrettable” that Egypt and Sudan pushed for the security council meeting.

“We urge our Egyptian and Sudanese brothers and sisters to understand that the resolution to the Nile issue will not come from the Security Council. It can only come from good faith negotiations,” he told the council.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia suggested the countries meet while in New York to try to resolve some issues.

(Reuters)

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