NEW YORK, USA
The UN Security Council adopted a statement Wednesday encouraging Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan "to resume negotiations" under the auspices of the African Union to swiftly conclude a deal on a controversial mega-dam on the Nile.
The pact should be a "mutually
acceptable and binding agreement on the filling and operation" of the
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, "within a reasonable time
frame," the Security Council said in a declaration drafted by Tunisia.
The members of the United Nations'
top security body also invited all observers who would be acceptable to the
three parties in the disputed project "to continue supporting the
negotiations with a view to facilitating resolution of
outstanding technical and legal issues."
"The Security Council calls
upon the three countries to take forward the AU-led negotiation process in a
constructive and cooperative manner," the statement said.
The dam was the subject of a
Security Council meeting in early July, even though its members have differing
opinions on the need for the body dedicated to world peace to take on a subject
related to water supply.
Ethiopia had criticised any
involvement of the Security Council, contending that the African Union was
better positioned to help resolve the conflict.
The GERD, set to be Africa's
largest hydroelectric project when completed, has sparked an almost decade-long
diplomatic stand-off between Addis Ababa and downstream nations Egypt and
Sudan.
In July Ethiopia announced that the
GERD was ready to produce electricity after completing the second phase of
filling.
Ethiopia says the project is
essential to its development, but Cairo and Khartoum fear it could restrict
their citizens' water access. - AFP
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