Can Arab League push Ethiopia to delay filling of Nile dam?
Arab foreign ministers called on Ethiopia to refrain from filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next month without prior agreement with Egypt and Sudan, but Arab experts and observers believe this position must be translated into action to support Egypt and Sudan in their dispute with Ethiopia.
CAIRO — Arab foreign ministers have recently called on Ethiopia to refrain from filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) next month without Egypt and Sudan’s prior agreement.
The statement comes as Cairo seeks to increase pressure to block the filling of the dam. The UN Security Council met to discuss the issue June 29, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warning that the dam threatened the lives of 150 million Egyptians and Sudanese.
The Arab ministers' decision came at the conclusion of the Arab League emergency meeting held June 23. The meeting called for “the need for all parties to refrain from taking any unilateral measures, and the need for Ethiopia to refrain from filling the GERD reservoir without reaching an agreement with the downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) on the dam filling and operation rules.”
The decision stated that “the water security of Egypt and Sudan is an integral part of the Arab national security” and stressed the rejection of any action or measure that affects the rights of Nile countries.
