· A resolution by the Executive Council of the League of Arab States supporting Egypt’s stand in seeking the intervention of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the GERD negotiations was totally rejected by Ethiopia.
· The Arab league wanted to push Ethiopia to sign a binding agreement on the negotiations before it started the second filling of the mega dam this summer.
A resolution by the Executive Council of the League of Arab States supporting Egypt’s stand in seeking the intervention of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the GERD negotiations was totally rejected by Ethiopia. The Arab league wanted to push Ethiopia to sign a binding agreement on the negotiations before it started the second filling of the mega dam this summer. Dismissing the call for UNSC intervention, Ethiopia asserted that the issue between Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan can only be resolved through good faith negotiation and compromise in the spirit of finding African solutions to African problems.
The statement was issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and blamed the Arab States of taking a “misguided position on the GERD,” based on the claims of Egypt and the Sudan regarding the GERD. It added that the League of Arab States has lost its opportunity to play a constructive role.
The Arab states, meeting was hosted by Qatar, after Egypt submitted a 95 pages document to the UNSC urging for the council to intervene in the GERD negotiations before Ethiopia undertook the second filling of the dam. The document, reportedly warned that the continued failure to reach an agreement on the GERD negotiations could have serious repercussions on regional stability and security .It further pointed out that it can also destabilise water security and interests of downstream states with far reaching political and security ramifications.
On Monday June 14, it was reported that Sudan was “open to a partial agreement” on the mega dam before Ethiopia began the second filling. According to media reports, Sudanese Irrigation Minister, Yasir Abbas said that Sudan was open to the proposal subject to the conditions like the signing-off of everything that has been agreed on in negotiations, … provisions to ensure that the talks continue even after the filling scheduled for July, and the negotiations adhering to a definite timetable.
