Sudan: Resorting to UNSC does not negate AU role in dam file mediation

This came during Hamdok’s meeting with the President of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, in the capital, Abidjan, on the sidelines of the meetings of the International Development Agency (IDA) of the World Bank, reported

The Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) quoted the PM saying that “Sudan adheres to the African solution to African issues.”

“Presenting the Renaissance dam file to the UN Security Council does not mean abandoning the African role, but is rather an appreciation of international support for reaching a solution.”

Following Sudanese and Egyptian efforts, the Security Council held a session on 13 July to discuss the Renaissance Dam crisis, during which the UN body backed the African Union (AU)’s mediation efforts to resolve differences over the dam.

Hamdok stressed the importance of African support to Sudan in various fields, especially urgent regional issues such as the Renaissance Dam file.

Egypt official: ‘We do not expect UNSC to resolve dam crisis’

On Tuesday, Ethiopia called on Egypt and Sudan to deliberate “in good faith” over the Renaissance Dam, and affirmed its commitment to the success of the tripartite negotiations led by the AU.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said during the Security Council session that the efforts led by the AU to solve the crisis “have reached an impasse”.

Ethiopia is building a $5 billion dam near the border with Sudan it says will provide the country with much-needed electricity and economic regeneration. Egypt believes it will restrict its access to Nile waters.

Egypt is almost entirely dependent on Nile water, receiving around 55.5 million cubic metres a year from the river, and believes that filling the dam will affect the water it needs for drinking, agriculture and electricity.

Cairo wants Ethiopia to guarantee Egypt will receive 40 billion cubic metres or more of water from the Nile. Ethiopian Irrigation Minister Seleshi Bekele said Egypt has abandoned this demand, but Egypt insists it hasn’t and issued a statement to this effect.

There is also an unresolved issue over how fast the dam will be filled, with Egypt fearing if it is filled too quickly, it could affect the electricity generated by the Aswan High Dam.

Earlier this month, Ethiopia informed downstream countries Egypt and Sudan that it had started the second phase of filling the dam’s reservoir in an effort to take advantage of the rainy season. Egypt responded saying: “Addis Ababa is violating international laws and norms, and is treating the River Nile as its own property.”