ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
Ethiopia is scheduled to begin filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) within two weeks, during which the remaining construction work will continue and negotiations will be concluded, according to Office of the Prime Minister.
The statement issued on early this week, said
that the three countries have agreed to reach a final agreement with few
pending matters remaining.
“Ethiopia is scheduled to begin filling the
GERD within the next two weeks, during which the remaining construction work
will continue,” said the statement, adding that “it is in this period, that the
three countries have agreed to reach a final agreement on few pending matters.”
The Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the
African Union Assembly was held virtually on Friday last week, on the ongoing
negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt with regards to the first
filling and annual operation of the GERD.
The meeting was convened by South African
President and African Union Chair, Cyril Ramaphosa, with the participation of
heads of state of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and members of the Assembly Bureau.
The leaders underscored that the Nile and the
GERD are African issues that must be given African solutions. The heads of
State of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt provided a statement on the status of the
negotiations and the meeting set directions on the way forward.
Accordingly, the three countries have agreed to
conclude the negotiation and try to reach an agreement within the next two
weeks before Ethiopia starts filling the dam.
The meeting also resolved to notify the United
Nations Security Council that the African Union seized the matter. It also instructed
the African Union and members of the Bureau to provide technical support for
the negotiations and urged Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to cease unnecessary media
escalation, the statement said.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in his Facebook post
said “I appreciate Chair of the AU, President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his
leadership in facilitating these high-level talks of continental significance.
Gratitude also to AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki. Our continental organization,
with a Pan-African spirit, is the right space to dialogue on issues that are of
value to Africa.”
The GERD offers all stakeholders the
opportunity for unprecedented economic growth and mutual development, he added.
The Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the African Union Assembly held on Friday last week was attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki, AU Chairperson and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and President Felix Tshisekedi of DR Congo.
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