No decision before the US elections!

Cairo | African mediation in the “Renaissance Dam” crisis entered a dark tunnel with the failure of the agreement between the three countries, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, and the deadline for which a report on the negotiations was supposed to be submitted to the Presidency of South Africa, as the current president of the Union, expired last Friday, amid diplomatic efforts. Confidentiality between the negotiating parties. Although Khartoum officially requested that the escalation of the negotiations be at the level of the heads of government after the deadlock of an agreement, Egyptian sources revealed, in an interview with “Al-Akhbar”, important details about the recent negotiation sessions that took place. they limited the irrigation ministers without the participation of foreign ministers.

Sources speak of “Ethiopia’s continued procrastination in establishing controls.” Addis Ababa violated what is established in the agreements after signing them, which “requires technicians to make political decisions, something that cannot be accepted.” Sources say: “Ethiopia’s requirement from the outset that observers not interfere in the negotiations clearly reduced their efforts, so that they were satisfied with the role of bystanders who were unable to effectively intervene and bring their views closer.” In accordance with the current process, the three countries will present the drafts they deem appropriate from their point of view, amidst great similarities between the Egyptian draft and its Sudanese counterpart, and the difference between the Ethiopians, in the expectation that the latter They will demand to avoid any binding mechanism in filling and storage, while ensuring that they are guiding mechanisms, even in Resolution of disputes that may arise in the future.

Cairo will not step into the Security Council before the election results are available.

Although there is another official request from Sudan to set a timetable for the negotiations so that they are not endless, things are getting complicated due to Ethiopia’s refusal to abide by any measures or sanctions. However, Egypt believes that the situation may change completely after the Ethiopian elections, so it is “awaiting this benefit with caution and anticipation.” Nor does it depend any more on the position of the United States during this stage, especially with its immersion in the presidential electoral race. At this time, the Ethiopian embassy in Washington requested official clarification on the US decision to suspend $ 130 million in aid to Ethiopia, due to obstruction of the negotiations on the dam. It is a move on which several American reports were published and backed by Egyptian sources, after Addis Ababa refused to sign the results of the Washington meetings that took place under the auspices of President Donald Trump for four months last fall. .
Meanwhile, the same sources report that the Egyptian authorities continue the secret and declared coordination in preparation of the international escalation before the Security Council or other parties during the coming months, amid measures to mobilize more parties that support the position of Egypt, especially Sudan and South Sudan, which is the main reason for Cairo’s interest. The growing cooperation with the two countries is now getting stronger, but in an almost unprecedented way at all levels. Also, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is supposed to convene a summit that includes the heads of the three countries, along with the African Union commissioner, in a last attempt to make African mediation successful, which in case if it fails, the file will be referred to the Security Council, indicating that there is a “real desire” from the Union. In the success of the negotiations, amid Egyptian expectations that the referral to the Council will come after the US elections.

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