Renaissance Dam .. An American delegation in Sudan and the Congo presents an initiative for a solution, and Ethiopia adheres to its position

President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Sudan, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, said that his country supports negotiations to end the Renaissance Dam crisis, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi stressed that Egypt will not accept compromising its water security, while Ethiopia has renewed its insistence on continuing the mobilization if no agreement is reached.

During his meeting with the American envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, in Khartoum, Al-Burhan stressed the need to reach an agreement between his country and both Ethiopia and Egypt on the filling and operating issues of the Renaissance Dam.

Al-Burhan added that Sudan is ready to cooperate with Ethiopia to solve its internal issues.

Regarding what is happening on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia, Al-Burhan explained to the US envoy that the recent Sudanese army deployment took place within the Sudanese borders, which Ethiopia has approved on a number of occasions and identified by historical agreements.

Al-Burhan called on the United States to stand by the Sudanese government and support it in facing the challenges of the transitional period.

For his part, the US envoy stressed the importance of Sudan, the Horn of Africa, and the security of the Red Sea to the United States.

Feltman expressed a deep understanding of Sudan’s position, stressing the importance of leading negotiations under the umbrella of the African Union with the involvement of the international community and improving the negotiation mechanism.

In the context, Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, President of the current session of the African Union, arrived in Khartoum on a one-day official visit.

During his meeting with Al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, Tshisekedi discussed the Renaissance Dam crisis.

On Saturday, the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maryam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, announced that the President of the Congo presented an initiative to solve the Renaissance Dam crisis in his capacity as the head of the current session of the African Union.

She added that the initiative is under discussion by the competent authorities, without mentioning more details about what it is.

And she added, “Sudan stands with the Ethiopian right to develop its capabilities, benefit from the waters of the Blue Nile and develop its resources, without prejudice to the rights of others, especially the rights of Sudan and Egypt.”

The Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs had stated in previous statements that President Tshisekedi would visit Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia to discuss the issue of the Renaissance Dam.

Egypt’s position

On the other hand, Sisi stressed that Egypt will not accept compromising its water security, and called for the need to reach a binding legal agreement and to spare the region more tension and instability.

A statement by the Egyptian Presidency indicated that Sisi discussed with the Congolese President the developments of the Renaissance Dam file within the framework of the negotiation process sponsored by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the participation of international partners, seeking to reach a fair and balanced agreement on the Renaissance Dam that takes into account the interests of the three countries.

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Ethiopian obstinacy

On the other hand, Ethiopia announced that it would complete the process of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in its second phase as scheduled. Therefore, even if no agreement was signed with the two countries of the mouth of the Nile regarding this mobilization.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dina Mufti, said, “His country has provided all the information to Sudan about the Renaissance Dam; however, Khartoum is trying to stir up confusion by continuing its complaint.”

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman affirmed that his country will work to ensure that there is an agreement between the three countries on filling and operating the Renaissance Dam, indicating that the second filling process is an integral part of building the dam, and therefore it will take place as happened in the first filling process last year.

Mufti added that his country is committed to the rules and regulations that govern cross-border rivers, including not to harm the two downstream countries, calling – in a press conference – both Egypt and Sudan to complete negotiations through the African Union mechanism. Because that is a win-win situation for everyone.

Addis Ababa insists on a second filling of the dam with water in July and August, even if no agreement is reached, and says that it does not aim to harm the interests of Sudan and Egypt, and that the aim of the dam is to generate electricity for development purposes.

Egypt and Sudan adhere to first reaching a tripartite agreement that preserves their water facilities and ensures the continuation of their annual share of the Nile water, which is 55.5 billion cubic meters and 18.5 billion cubic meters, respectively.