On Wednesday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a presidential statement (15 countries) calling for the resumption of the months-long stalled negotiations on the Ethiopian “Renaissance Dam”.
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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, within a negotiating process that began about 10 years ago.
Diplomatic sources said 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 urged the three countries (Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia) to “resume negotiations under the leadership of the African Union.”
To reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam within a reasonable time frame while ensuring the interests of the parties equitably.
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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 members of the Council that the adoption of such a statement regarding the Renaissance Dam could create a precedent.
The council will be called to intervene in other disputes around the world over 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.
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While Cairo and Khartoum are calling for the conclusion of a legally binding tripartite agreement, to preserve their water facilities and the continued flow of their annual share of the Nile water.
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