The United Arab Emirates (UAE) renews its commitment to
support the efforts of the African Union (AU), a continental union consisting
of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa, to resolve the dispute
between Ethiopia and Egypt regarding the exploitation of the Nile River in
northeastern Africa.
The Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the
United Nations said in a statement that the UAE believes that a successful
conclusion of negotiations on the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Agreement) is within reach.
The Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN further
recognised the great opportunity that GERD presents to enhance and accelerate
regional integration while bolstering cooperation and sustainable development
in the region and beyond in the spirit of “African solutions to African
challenges”.
The UAE also recognised the role of the African Union (AU)
in renewing the GERD. The Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN welcomed the
commitment of the three countries: Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, to the AU-led
negotiations and encouraged them to continue negotiating in good faith.
In a statement, UAE Mission to the UN, said, “Taking into
account the progress already achieved through different initiatives undertaken
in support of the AU-led process, the UAE believes the 2015 Declaration of
Principles on the GERD remains a foundational reference point.”
Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Agreement
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have held several meetings to
reach a legal solution under the patronage of the AU. Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia
have been negotiating under the AU over legal issues related to the filling and
operation of the GERD on the Nile River. Earlier, Egypt and Sudan asserted
their keenness to reach a binding legal agreement on this matter.
Ethiopia started building the GERD in 2011. Ethiopia wanted
to build the dam on the Nile River’s main tributary to relieve Ethiopia's acute
energy shortage. Ethiopia implemented the second phase of filling the dam last
year without the consent of the two countries. However, Sudan deems the Niledam
an "existential threat".
Egypt and Sudan fear that the dam might affect their water
supplies, especially in times of drought. Egypt gets 97 per cent of its water
from the Nile River. Egypt and Sudan are united in opposition to Ethiopia’s mega-dam on the Nile
River.
Recently, Egypt protested to the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) against Ethiopia's plans to fill the reservoir of the Nile dam for a
third year without agreement from Egypt and Sudan.
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