The Ethiopian government on Friday rejected the latest resolution made by the Arab League concerning the disputing Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia notes with dismay the “Resolution” of the Executive Council of the Arab League concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issued on March 5, 2020. Ethiopia rejects the “Resolution” in its entirety,” the ministry said in a statement issued on Friday. The ministry also stressed that the resolution “gives blind support to a member state without taking into consideration key facts at the center of the GERD talks,” while emphasizing that Ethiopia’s relations with the peoples’ and governments of member states of the Arab League “are longstanding based on common values, deep-rooted cultural ties and traditions.”
“The relationship demonstrated the power of justice in the face of adversity, sanctuary in the face of persecution, cooperation at the time of need, and friendly relations during alienation,” the ministry said, adding “as an institution composed of sovereign countries, the League is expected to follow an approach that allows an accurate representation of facts and balances all interests involved.”
The ministry also reiterated the East African country’s “longstanding and firm position as expressed by successive governments that it has the right to use its Nile water resources to meet the needs of the present and future generations.”
“As the Nile is a transboundary water resource Ethiopia is committed to the principles of equitable and reasonable use, not causing significant harm and that of cooperation,” the statement read. The ministry further reiterated that Ethiopia “firmly believe that through continued open and transparent dialogue there is great potential to arrive at an amicable solution,” while indicating that “hegemonic posturing is unproductive and need not have a place in our interdependent global order.”
Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday expressed their rejection of harming Egypt’s historical rights to the Nile River water by the construction of the GERD. “The water security of Egypt is an integral part of the Arab national security,” said the Arab top diplomats during a meeting of the Arab League Council in Cairo.
“The Council announces rejection of any unilateral measures that might be taken by Ethiopia, including starting filling the GERD reservoir, without reaching a comprehensive agreement governing the dam filling process and organizing its operation,” said an AL resolution issued following the meeting. Filling the reservoir, whose total capacity is 74 billion cubic meters, may take several years. Egypt seeks to prolong the period to avoid the negative effects of water shortage, which is a main point of the talks.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second populous nation with an estimated 107 million total population and an upstream Nile Basin country, started building its grand hydropower dam in 2011 on the Blue Nile, a major tributary to the River Nile, while downstream Egypt has been since then expressing its concern that Ethiopia’s dam might affect its share of the Nile water. The East African country argued that the construction GERD, which is expected to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity and become Africa’s largest hydropower dam upon completion, would drive its development aspiration, without harming the downstream Nile Basin countries, mainly Sudan and Egypt.
