Ethiopia says Arab League’s Resolution on Ethiopian Dam Unacceptable
Ethiopian Scholars Say Arab League Has Been Hijacked By Egypt’s False Propaganda
Ethiopia has announced that it will not accept the Arab League’s resolution on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In a statement it issued today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the recently held Arab League summit has disappointed the Ethiopian government.
The statement indicated that the decision, in particular, undermines the role of the African Union and its member states who are working to resolve the dispute around the dam through peaceful negotiations.
It also said that the resolution is a decision contrary to the historic relationship between African and Arab countries.
The statement also emphasized that the resolution passed by the League supports Egypt’s unfair use of the Nile River.
Ethiopian Scholars Say Arab League Has Been Hijacked By Egypt’s False Propaganda
Ethiopian Scholars who were approached by FBC in connection with this said: the Arab League’s statement on the Grand Renaissance Dam is unacceptable and has been hijacked by Egypt’s false propaganda.
Adam Kamil , a researcher of the dam situation and Middle East politics, said that noises like this made to shadow the reality are common and do not take the reality into account where the Grand Renaissance Dam is nearing completion.
The political scientists and international relations experts, Senesa Demsu, explained that the current statement of the Arab League is an intentional diplomatic illusion that is trying to make Egypt’s lie a reality.
The scholars pointed out that the statement of the Arab League is against the truth, and does not respect Ethiopia’s national interest and totally biased.
The academicians said that Ethiopia has the truth about the dam, and it should make the rest of the world alert about the reality through continuous diplomatic efforts.
Egypt Accuses Ethiopia For Filling the Dam With Out A Deal
Egypt’s State media, Ahram Online, yesterday reported that the Arab leaders stressed the importance of negotiating in good faith in order for the three countries to urgently reach a fair and balanced legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Ethiopian dam, according to a statement issued at the end of their summit.
Such an agreement should ensure the joint interests of the three countries, including the water rights of Egypt and Sudan, Ahram cited the Arab leaders.
They expressed appreciation for the African Union-led negotiation process, but voiced serious concerns over the lack of progress due to Ethiopia’s intransigence, it said.
According to Ahram, the Arab leaders called for the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities in taking the required measures to reach a peaceful settlement to the GERD issue. This includes implementing the Security Council’s 2021 presidential statement encouraging Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to restart the AU-led negotiations “to finalize expeditiously a mutually acceptable and binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD.”
It said that the leaders emphasized the imperative for all three countries to adhere to the principles of international law. These include rules prohibiting harm to the water usage of countries sharing transboundary rivers; the promotion of equitable and reasonable use of international waterways; and an emphasis on cooperation, prior consultation and notification among the nations involved.
“The Jeddah summit called for the Arab members of the Security Council and the Arab League’s committee on the isssue formed in 2020 to follow up on developments on the issue and coordinate with the Security Council to enhance their efforts. It also emphasized the importance of maintaining strong coordination with Sudan and Egypt to take necessary actions in the future.”
As to Ahram, in March, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry – in his role as the head of the Arab League Council’s meeting for Arab foreign ministers – approved a decision to place the issue of the Ethiopian dam as a permanent topic on the Arab League Council agenda.
Egypt has resorted to the UN Security Council three times over the past three years, as Ethiopia has been filling the dam since 2020, the report recalled.
“However, Shoukry said earlier in May that Egypt has no intention of taking the GERD issue to the Security Council again, as Ethiopia gears up for the fourth filling of the dam’s 74-billion-cubic-metre reservoir this summer.”