Sudan accuses Ethiopia of threatening its national security

Ethiopia is threatening Sudan’s national security with its intention to begin filling the Renaissance Dam’s reservoir in July, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, said in a statement yesterday.

Al-Mahdi accused Addis Ababa of attacking the values of good neighbourliness and threatening the lives of 20 million Sudanese by starting the second phase of filling the dam’s reservoir.

On Sunday she called for holding a summit of African presidents and government representatives to reach an agreement on the dam.

Khartoum also called on African Union (AU) experts to propose solutions and present alternative drafts for the agreement between the three countries, while maintaining the role of observers.

Last Sunday, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, confirmed that the second filling of the Renaissance Dam will take place during the rainy season in July and August.

Egypt and Sudan, both downstream countries along the River Nile, insist on reaching an agreement on filling and operating the dam that will preserve their access to the vital waterway and ensure the flow of their annual share of Nile water, amounting to 55.5 billion cubic meters and 18.5 billion cubic meters, respectively.

READ: ‘Internationalisation of Renaissance Dam file will not force us to accept colonial agreement’

Ethiopia renews commitment to AU mediation in dam talks – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]