NICOLAS DE RIVIÈRE (France), President of the Council in July, said in his national capacity: “All parties must assert legitimate interests.” However, after a decade of negotiations, confidence has been shaken and the continued filling of the dam`s reservoir is creating tensions as no prior agreement is reached, he noted. The priority must be not to exacerbate the problems that each of the three countries is already facing, in particular the ongoing democratic transition in Sudan, Ethiopia`s development challenges and Egypt`s efforts to meet the needs of its people. They should show the political will to resolve their differences through dialogue with the support of the African Union and refrain from anything that could undermine the talks and the achievement of a negotiated solution, he stressed. He praised the leadership of the African Union and stressed: “These efforts must be continued and strengthened.” Egypt, he continued, is seeking to conclude a legally binding, fair and reasonable agreement that includes provisions to mitigate negative effects and protect coastal interests from harm, while ensuring that its water security is not compromised by the operation of Africa`s largest hydropower plant. “An agreement is not out of reach,” he stressed. The repeated failure of the negotiations is not due to a lack of scientific legal expertise, but to Ethiopian intransigence. “The cause of this crisis is political,” he said, calling Addis Ababa`s position a community or charity under the illusion that the Blue Nile is an internal river that he can use for his exclusive advantage. Ethiopia refuses to sign a legally binding agreement and has instead proposed labeling the text as mere guidelines and rules. He insists on codifying his full right to amend the dam agreement, citing a “mythical injustice” caused by an unjust status quo. In reality, Ethiopia has never reached an agreement on the Nile under threat or coercion, he noted, demanding that Egypt`s offshore coast abide by international law. Although the immediate issue at stake – securing a technical agreement on filling the GERD reservoir – lies between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, the broader, longer-term goal should be for all 11 states – including Tanzania, uganda, the Democratic Republic of congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Eritrea and South Sudan – to agree on a legal regime for the management of this important river. Such a meaningful resource-sharing agreement should not only resolve the conflict over water use rights between riparian states, but also help define concepts such as fair and equitable use and significant damage used by downstream states in their criticism of gerD.
Egypt and Sudan, meanwhile, want to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, provided it ensures an effective and binding mechanism to resolve future disputes. Addis Ababa insists on an agreement that contains non-binding guidelines. SAMEH HASSAN SHOKRY SELIM, Egypt`s foreign minister, said more than 100 million Egyptians face an existential threat from a dam of gigantic proportions built along the artery that gives them life. “This has cast a long and dark shadow over the future and destiny of the Egyptian people,” he said. On 29 June 2020, Cairo warned the Council of the growing danger and warned against gaining exclusive control over a common river and stressing the need to avoid an escalation of tensions that could threaten peace. Within days, Ethiopia unilaterally began filling the dam, declaring that “the Nile belongs to us.” Egypt`s response has been one of restraint aimed at a just deal that protects the interests of all parties, he said. After years of talks under the auspices of the African Union, Egypt has tried to find an African solution to this African problem. “Yet we failed,” he said, adding that despite these efforts, the dam was filled unilaterally without an agreement to protect communities downstream. On July 5, 2021, Ethiopia began the second filling.
ZHANG JUN (China) said the completion of the dam could enhance mutual trust and win-win cooperation through joint efforts. Referring to the 2015 Declaration of Principles and several rounds of negotiations under the auspices of the African Union, he took note of the positions expressed in recent letters to the Council from the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. China fully understands the concerns of Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan, while encouraging them to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation. African countries have “a good tradition” of doing so, he added, expressing the hope that they will resume dialogue and reach an acceptable and beneficial agreement for each of them in a spirit of friendly cooperation. The Council should support those efforts and create an external environment conducive to peace and development in Africa. VASSILY A. While NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) stated that she was aware of the importance of the largest hydropower project in Africa, she highlighted the legitimate concerns of Egypt and Sudan about its potential negative impact in the absence of an agreement. However, there is no alternative to resolving the dispute than negotiations, he said, stressing that the search for a solution must be conducted in the spirit of the 2015 Khartoum Declaration and must take into account the progress made in determining the modalities of the dam.
“Mutual understanding and trust are necessary,” he added, warning that statements about the possible use of force should be avoided. “We are concerned about the escalation of conflict rhetoric,” as disagreements over development should not lead to threats to peace and security, he stressed. A gradual agreement on the filling of the reservoir and the operation of the plant could help to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The best outcome would be negotiations between all the countries of the Nile Basin, he said, welcoming the involvement of the African Union, including its committee of technical and legal experts. However, he called on the regional organization to intensify its scope of action and noted that increasing the number of intermediaries and observers would not bring added value, although their participation was possible with the consent of all countries concerned. He suggested that all interested parties hold talks on the ground under the mediation of the Chairperson of the African Union, with all three parties currently in New York. He described this option as the best contribution the Council could make to the search for a solution and stressed his country`s willingness to carry out satellite monitoring of the filling of the reservoir at the request of all stakeholders. The 2015 agreement between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan – with Sudan as mediator – represents a significant but predictable shift in Cairo`s approach to the Nile – that these colonial agreements are not viable. About 85 percent of the water that flows into the Nile comes from the Ethiopian highlands across the Blue Nile; the rest comes from the White Nile. It was simply unrealistic and untenable for Egypt to believe that it could continue to prevent Ethiopia from using water resources within its borders to meet the needs of its people. While it is true that Egyptians are completely dependent on the waters of the Nile for all their needs, they must be sensitive to the development needs of the upstream riparian states, especially since the latter, especially Ethiopia, are able to cause significant damage to the quantity and quality of water flowing into the Nile.
Therefore, the practical and more accommodating position of the Egyptian leadership in their decision to support the Addis Ababa Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERDP) project should be welcomed. However, Cairo must go further and sign and ratify the CFA without insisting on amendments to Article 14(b) to guarantee Egypt the rights created by the Nile water agreements. With the FCA, the 11 riparian states can negotiate in good faith to agree on an allocation formula acceptable to all and considered fair, just and appropriate. As Africa is increasingly affected by climate change, different groups on the continent must agree to work together to develop institutional structures that can improve their ability to live together peacefully and allocate their natural resources, including water, equitably and sustainably. Nevertheless, he said, Council members expressed their support for all elements of the draft resolution, so Egypt looks forward to its approval, which will “strengthen and strengthen” Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi`s efforts as AU chairman to begin negotiations with the three parties and negotiate a legally binding agreement. However, Ethiopia opposed the statement, which it saw as an attempt to politicize and internationalize the dispute, he said, adding that Addis Ababa had also stressed its commitment to African Union mediation while reaffirming its plan to proceed with the second filling of the dam in July. Highlighting the bilateral meetings between Ethiopia and Sudan and his recently announced intention to accept an interim agreement on filling the dam, he said the Ethiopian government sent letters to Egypt and Sudan last week informing them of the start of the second filling. Egypt and Sudan both opposed this communication and reaffirmed their position that any further replenishment should take place within an agreed framework. The British heard of the French expedition and, having just conquered Khartoum, ordered a fleet of gunboats and steamboats with soldiers led by General Horatio Herbert Kitchener upstream of Fashoda, the site of the planned dam. With less than 200 men, the French were ashamed. .