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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that he is confident that the African Union, under the presidency of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, will reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) before to implement the second stage of the filling process, which will satisfy Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.
During the 34th ordinary session of the African Union Summit held by videoconference, Sisi thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for sponsoring previous tripartite negotiations.
Sisi said that “Egypt has committed itself in good faith and seriously on the African path, hoping to reach the desired agreement in a way that takes into account the interests and rights of the parties concerned, a goal that will not be achieved without availability of the political will of all parties, and I confirm our enthusiasm to solve this problem through serious negotiations in a way that improves security, stability and development in the region.
The Egyptian president also called for strengthening joint efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on Africa’s economy, health and security. He also highlighted the need to continue developing the continent’s infrastructure as a fundamental step to achieve integration.
Sisi also appreciated the confidence shown by North African countries in electing Egypt for the third time to represent the region as part of the 2021 African Union Summit Bureau.
Sudan previously said that it will not accept the imposition of a fait accompli in the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations and is eager to respond against Ethiopia without resorting to war.
Sudanese Sovereignty Council member Mohammed al-Fekky said that the Sudanese army can protect Sudanese territories and restore their lands in dispute with Ethiopia.
Egypt said on January 10 that recent GERD negotiating sessions have failed once again due to differences on how to resume the talks and procedural aspects related to managing the negotiation process.
The three parties have held several rounds of negotiations in recent years, but have ultimately failed to reach an agreement.
Construction of the dam, which began in 2011, is considered one of Egypt’s most serious water problems.
Egypt, which relies heavily on fresh water from the Nile, has expressed fear that GERD will adversely affect the country’s water supply and has insisted that measures be taken to protect downstream countries in the event of drought during the process of filling of the dam.
Ethiopia, for its part, has highlighted the importance of the project to boost its economy, where more than half of the population currently lives without access to electricity.
Sudan is somewhat caught in the middle of the conflicting interests of Egypt and Ethiopia. There is a possibility that the country will develop further with the GERD operation, but government officials are concerned that it may also threaten pre-existing dams.
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