Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated that Cairo is conducting extensive communications with members of the UN Security Council to convene a meeting regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis. He emphasized that Egypt seeks to reach a binding legal agreement through the Security Council concerning the dam, expressing hope that the council will affirm the necessity of reaching such an agreement.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister warned that if Ethiopia does not comply with what will be issued by the Security Council, both Egypt and Sudan will have exhausted all available options within the political framework. He noted that a visit to the United States may take place in the near future in connection with ongoing discussions and consultations regarding the timing of the session.
During a television interview on Saturday evening, he addressed the Ethiopian communications to the Security Council, which accused Egypt and Sudan of being the cause of the negotiation failures and wanting to leave the African umbrella to internationalize and politicize the issue, describing these as Ethiopian claims. He highlighted that Ethiopia has a habit of making accusations and shifting responsibility onto others to conceal the reality of its position.
Shoukry pointed out that Egypt has positively engaged in the African process and, along with Sudan, has proposed many formulas to resume negotiations in a manner acceptable to the Congolese presidency and observers, but Ethiopia rejected these proposals. He affirmed that this is clear evidence that the claims in the Ethiopian communication are mere allegations without any basis in reality.
He clarified that there has been no African proposal regarding the resumption of negotiations on the dam since Ethiopia halted them during the last meetings in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa. He mentioned that the Congolese presidency is consulting on how to continue the African process, but no proposals have been made in this regard.
He indicated that the United States is in contact with all three parties and also with the African Union presidency, confirming that Egypt remains in contact with the U.S. envoy as part of the discussions and consultations to determine the best path to resolve this crisis.
He noted that Egypt continues to consult with various parties within the ongoing efforts that have persisted for ten years, expressing good intentions and a desire to reach an agreement that meets Ethiopia's needs while protecting Egypt's and Sudan's water interests.
For its part, the Sudanese government stated that Ethiopia's unilateral filling of the dam is an extremely risky step that directly threatens the country's security and interests. Sudan's Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Khaled Omar Youssef, affirmed his country’s commitment to using all peaceful means to defend Sudan's rights.
