Egypt conveys a formal letter to the Security Council on the developments of the GERD

alhadath – cairo

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, communicated a letter, today 1st of September, 2024, to the President of the United Nations Security Council following the recent statements by the Ethiopian Prime Minister regarding the fifth phase of the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Egypt’s categorical rejection of the Ethiopian unilateral policies which contravene the rules and principles of international law, and constitute a flagrant violation of the Agreement on Declaration of Principles between Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan in 2015, as well as the Presidential Statement of the Security Council issued on 15th of September 2021. Minister Abdelatty stressed that the statements of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding withholding a portion of the waters of the Blue Nile this year and the completion of the concrete structure of the GERD are entirely unacceptable to Egypt. These actions represent an extension of the Ethiopian approach that continues to cause difficulties with its neighbors and threatens the stability of the region, whereas most of its states aspire to enhance regional cooperation and integration, instead of sowing seeds of discord and disagreement between peoples who are bound by bonds of fraternity and shared destiny.

Egypt’s letter to the Security Council clarified that the negotiation tracks on the GERD, in which Egypt engaged with genuine intentions, came to an end after 13 years when it became clear to everyone that Addis Ababa wishes only to maintain an endless negotiation process as a cover to conceal its ulterior purpose of entrenching a fait accompli, while lacking the political will to reach a solution and seeking to legitimize its unilateral policies, in contravention of international law and under the guise of unfounded claims concerning peoples’ right to development. In this regard, Minister Abdelatty emphasized that Egypt has always been among the leading countries supporting development in the Nile Basin States, and that development could be achieved for all parties, should there be commitment to cooperative practices which are reflected in international law, not causing harm to others, and furthering regional integration.

In his letter to the Security Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that the unlawful Ethiopian policies will have grave consequences on the two downstream states, Egypt and the Sudan. He further emphasized that despite the rise in the Nile flood level in the recent years and the significant efforts exerted by Egypt, which have contributed to mitigating the adverse effects of Ethiopia’s unilateral actions regarding the GERD in the past years, Egypt shall continue to closely monitor the developments and stands ready to take all measures and steps accorded by the United Nations Charter to defend its existence and the aspirations and interests of its people.

Egypt’s Supreme Committee for the Nile convened last week, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, and reaffirmed Egypt’s right to defend its water security and to take the requisite measures to achieve this end. The Committee also discussed means to enhance cooperation in the Nile Basin, in light of Egypt’s conviction of the need for concerted efforts to attract funding to implement developmental projects in the sisterly Nile Basin States, in accordance with the internationally agreed cooperative practices in a manner that would foster prosperity for all and avoid the prospects of tension and poverty that could result from the uncooperative Ethiopian policies.

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