New York / Muhammad Tariq / Anatolia
The United Nations Security Council, on Wednesday, adopted a presidential statement unanimously (15) calling for the resumption of the months-stalled negotiations on the Ethiopian “Renaissance Dam”.
Egypt and Sudan exchange accusations with Ethiopia of being responsible for the failure of negotiations on the dam, sponsored by the African Union for months, as part of a negotiating process that began about 10 years ago.
Diplomatic sources told Anadolu Agency that the text of the statement issued on Wednesday is the fourth version distributed by Tunisia (the only Arab member of the council), after Kenya objected to paragraphs of the statement.
The issuance of Security Council statements requires the unanimous consent of all members, as any country in the Council has the right to block the issuance of presidential or press statements.
The statement, obtained by Anadolu Agency, urged the three countries (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia) to “resuming negotiations under the leadership of the African Union, to reach a binding agreement on filling and operating the dam, within a reasonable time frame, while ensuring the interests of the parties in a fair manner.”
He stressed that the Security Council “does not set any principles or precedent in disputes related to transboundary water sources.”
According to diplomatic sources, the development of this paragraph aims to “address the concerns of many council members that the adoption of such a statement regarding the Renaissance Dam could create a precedent as the council will be called to intervene in other disputes around the world regarding transboundary water sources.”
Addis Ababa says that it does not aim to harm the interests of the downstream states of the Nile, Egypt and Sudan, but rather to generate electricity from the dam for development purposes.
While Cairo and Khartoum are calling for the conclusion of a legally binding tripartite agreement, to preserve their water facilities, and the continuation of the flow of their annual share of the Nile water.
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