Ethiopia urges Egypt, Sudan to embrace Nile dam

ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian government is urging the governments of the Arab Republic of Egypt and of the Republic of Sudan to embrace and support the operationalization of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), saying it will benefit Egypt during time of droughts.

“Egypt should encourage Ethiopia to finish building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam quickly because it would serve Egypt as a lifeline and a water bank in drought seasons, taking their own request and account,” Ethiopian State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Redwan Hussein told the Arabia news channel yesterday.

“We told Sudan that we are ready to exchange data regularly to meet their concerns for the security of their smaller dams, but their position now serves the interests of a third party than that of the Sudanese people,” he added.

The Ethiopian diplomat said the two downstream countries “should not hold on to their stance because Ethiopians cannot wait indefinitely, expecting the green light to utilize their resources” arguing that his country “provided more opportunities for Egypt and Sudan to benefit from the dam, notwithstanding their failure to appreciate it.”

Amb. Redwan said Ethiopia “must now use its resources, causing no significant harm to downstream states” adding that the GERD “is a beckon of regional cooperation and integration than an issue of bickering.

‘Sudan comes first’

The Ethiopian diplomat further urged the ‘brotherly’ people of Sudan to put their political differences aside and “realize that Sudan comes first, and the interest of the Sudanese stands above all appeals.”

“If [the Sudanese] parties act calmly and rationally by putting the interest of the Sudanese people above everything else, they would find a way to overcome their differences,” he added.

Asked if there is any Ethiopian initiative to resolve the Sudanese crisis, the Ambassador said “the Sudanese people have the wisdom to solve their problems without external intervention.”