Sudan has said that a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) can be of major benefit to Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan.
Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Abdelmannan, said this in an interview in Abuja on Thursday, February 16, 2023.
The Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, had said on February 12 that Ethiopia was obstructing efforts to reach a binding framework for the filling and operation of the dam.
Shoukry’s remarks came during his speech at the annual conference of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs with the theme focused on the repercussions of the Russian/Ukrainian crisis on the Middle East and Egypt.
On August 12, Ethiopia announced it had completed the third filling of the reservoir behind its GERD without reaching an agreement on the use of Blue Nile waters with its downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan.
The two former countries are dependent on Nile waters and fear that the filling of the reservoir, which has a capacity of 74 cubic km, will reduce the water available to them.
The Sudanese envoy said the dam could serve as a tool for development, when implemented upon an agreement between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan.
“This (a legally binding agreement) will benefit all three countries and now the countries concerned about the dam are working together to solve any problem facing proper implementation and operation of the dam.
“We hope that we reach an agreement that will see this dam operating in a manner that will yield the benefits for the countries that are hosts of this dam.
“In the end, Africa as a whole can benefit also from the dam,” he said.
He urged partnership among African countries in order to tackle the challenges connected to national elections and insecurity across Africa.
“Unfortunately, there is a connection between election and insecurity. It is not only in Africa but everywhere – even in the U.S.
“Insecurity has many statuses; it can come before an election, during an election, or after the announcement of election results.
“However, at each stage, insecurity signs should be tackled to ensure smooth democracy.
“In a democracy, some issues are security-related. There are traditional and tribal associations and in Africa, we have our political parties formed along traditional and tribal lines.
“And this cannot reflect democracy as it is in the Western world. Our democracy should be built on our own tradition – African tradition.
“If we have a version of democracy that can thrive and work in our society, we can achieve free and fair elections.
“We need to tackle terrorism; African leaders should work collaboratively to tackle terrorism in order to have credible polls,” he added.
By Fortune Abang
