Ethiopia has called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to respect the AU-led tripartite negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd), saying the issue “does not fall” under its mandate, according to a statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Wednesday
During their meeting w/ DPM & FM @DemekeHasen the Nile Riparian Countries said the #AU-led Process on the #GERD negotiations is the right platform to reach amicable solutions & underscored that the #UNSC has no mandate to decide on the GERD, which is purely a development project. pic.twitter.com/6i06DN5t7U
— MFA Ethiopia🇪🇹 (@mfaethiopia) July 7, 2021
“The latest attempts made by Sudan and Egypt to take the Gerd issue to the UN Peace and Security Council by mobilizing the League of the Arab states [Arab League] would unnecessarily internationalize and securitize the matter.
“It also leaves a dangerous precedent and takes the negotiations away from the African Union,” Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen said.
Ethiopia has in the past criticized Sudan and Egypt for seeking to involve mediators outside the AU in the dam talks.
The UN Security Council is due to meet on Thursday to discuss tensions over the dam.
