Sudan, Egyptian PMs call for permanent deal on Ethiopia dam

By Mawahib Abdallatif

Sudanese and Egyptian prime ministers on Saturday called for a permanent agreement on the controversial Ethiopian dam, saying that it will be the only way to end the squabble over waters of the world's longest river.

Meeting in Khartoum, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouli said the three countries should continue to negotiate for a final deal, based on the 2015 Declaration of Principles.

That document detailed the importance of fair and equitable use of water, regard for others in projects on the Nile as well as the importance of agreeing on an effective and binding mechanism for settling disputes.

The leaders, meeting for the first time since Hamdok became premier, issued a statement rejecting any unilateral measures by Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) before reaching an agreement satisfactory to the three parties.

No compromise

Sudanese Information Minister Faisal Saleh told a joint press conference before the two premiers that the two countries will not compromise on filling the dam before a permanent agreement is reached.

"Cairo and Khartoum affirmed the need to reach a fair and binding legal agreement on the Renaissance Dam that protects the rights of the peoples of the region," Saleh said.

GERD is a USD4.5 billion project being put up by the Ethiopians through local contributions. But the dam which could produce up to 6.4GW of power has been at the centre of controversy ever since its building began in 2013. Egypt and Sudan fear the dam could reduce the amount of Nile water reaching their territories, threatening livelihoods.

Ethiopia has argued that the water will not be diverted but will be gathered for electricity generation and be allowed to flow. Last month, it filled up the initial portion of the dam despite protests from Egypt and Sudan.

Mediating talks

The African Union has been mediating talks between the three countries to reach an amicable solution. But talks have broken often. This week, Ethiopia announced suspension of talks for another week.

On August 5, Egypt and Sudan asked for a delay in the talks to allow "internal consultations regarding the Ethiopian proposal", after a letter submitted by Ethiopian Minister for Water suggested "guidelines and rules" for filling the dam.

The three countries though still support talks within the African Union.

There have been multiple negotiating rounds which were sponsored initially by the United States.

In February, Ethiopia rejected a draft agreement fronted by the US, arguing that it favoured Egypt.

This article was originally published by Daily Nation. [Photo: Salini Impregilo]