PM Hamdok stresses rejection of GERD filling without multilateral agreement

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok chaired another meeting of Sudan's Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Committee yesterday to discuss recent developments in the diplomatic dispute over the dam.

The meeting reviewed a report by Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariam El Sadig El Mahdi and it was also attended by Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yassir Abbas, the Director of General Intelligence Service, and the members of the Technical Committee.

Yesterday, El Mahdi said that Sudan is looking forward to reaching a legally binding agreement before the second filling of the GERD is set in motion.

She also said that Sudan is ready for negotiation for solving the issue by peaceful means and under the auspices of the African Union.

Minister Abbas also presented a report on the activities and works of the negotiation team and the related technical, political, and media committees. 

During the meeting, PM Hamdok stressed Sudan’s rejection of the unilateral filling of Ethiopia's dam without reaching a binding legal agreement between the involved countries. He referring to the direct threat posed to Sudan's own water projects and the citizens on the banks of the Blue Nile.

The meeting further developed the plans and programs of the negotiation team and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Irrigation. They aim to use all the legal means possible through different regional and international institutions to defend Sudan’s legitimate interests and concerns about the dam filling.

Concerns

Last month, 22 NGOs warned of military confrontations between the three countries if the long-running dispute between the governments of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt over the building, filling, and operating of the GERD is not resolved quickly.  

"The project is expected to have profound effects on the future of the three countries and the African sub-region. While it represents an important development opportunity for Ethiopia as its prime owner, the impact of GERD on Sudan and Egypt cannot be overlooked", their statement read.