Egypt: Washington alone is able to save the Renaissance Dam negotiations

The Egyptian ambassador to Washington, Moataz Zahran, called on the United States on Friday to intervene to save the stalled “Renaissance” dam negotiations.

Considering that it is the only one capable of achieving a breakthrough in the Renaissance Dam.

This came in an article published in the American “Foreign Policy” magazine, entitled: “Only Washington can save the Renaissance Dam negotiations now.”

Zahran also said, “Ethiopia has thwarted another mediation process, this time led by the African Union, to resolve an escalating crisis on the Nile River.

Ethiopia is building a huge dam, which would disrupt a major source of water for Egypt and Sudan. “

He added, “With Ethiopia approaching the implementation of the second filling of the dam reservoir from one side, and thus it crossed the (red line) set by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The mediation of the United States is now needed in order to reach a peaceful solution to prevent unrest in the region. “

Earlier this month, the United States appointed veteran diplomat Geoffrey Feltman as a special envoy to the Horn of Africa, and assigned him several tasks, including addressing the dispute over the “Renaissance” dam.

Zahran added, “50 percent of Egyptians currently live below the water poverty line due to the lack of annual rainfall.

Consequently, the unilateral filling and operation of the dam could cause incalculable social, economic and environmental damage in Egypt and Sudan.

And in the strongest threatening tone since the outbreak of the crisis 10 years ago, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said, on 30 March.

“The waters of the Nile are a red line, and we will not allow our water rights to be violated, and any prejudice to Egypt’s water will have a reaction that threatens the stability of the entire region.”

On Wednesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a parliamentary hearing that Ethiopia “refused mediations to solve the Renaissance Dam crisis,” without naming the parties to those mediations.

While the Ethiopian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Radwan Hussein, said during a briefing that he presented to the ambassadors of Asian countries in Ethiopia.

Egypt “is still continuing to present its irrational claims regarding the Renaissance Dam file,” he said.

While Egypt and Sudan offer quadripartite mediation consisting of the United States, the United Nations, and the European and African Union, Ethiopia rejects this, and adheres to a mediation led by the African Union for months.

Addis Ababa insists on a second filling of the dam in July and August, even if no agreement is reached.

Egypt and Sudan adhere to first reaching a tripartite agreement to preserve their water facilities.

This guarantees the continuation of their annual share of the Nile water, estimated at 55.5 billion cubic meters and 18.5 billion cubic meters, respectively.