The Security Council holds an extraordinary session to discuss the issue of the Ethiopian Dam

New York (ST): The United Nations Security Council held an extraordinary session to discuss the issue of the  Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, after it was called by Egypt and Sudan.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a speech during the session that Egypt faces an existential threat due to the Renaissance Dam crisis,” noting that his country warned against controlling the Nile River and called for the interests of the countries concerned to be taken into account.

Shoukry pointed out that the unilateral Ethiopian decision to fill the dam expresses indifference to the damage we are exposed to in Egypt and Sudan.He considered the Ethiopian steps  unilateral and do not take into account the interests of downstream countries.

The Egyptian minister stressed that any agreement on the dam must guarantee the rights of the three countries, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

In turn, the representative of Tunisia to the UN Security Council,  Al-Monsef Al-Baati, considered that there is an urgent need for a coordination mechanism between the countries concerned with the Dam crisis, adding that Ethiopia must stop taking unilateral positions, and the three countries must be encouraged to resume negotiations to reach the desired agreement.

For his part, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, said that Moscow is aware of the importance of the Renaissance Dam for Ethiopia, but at the same time it understands Sudan and Egypt’s position on filling and operating the dam, expressing his hope that Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia will be able to resolve the crisis. 

In turn, the Chinese delegate to the council stressed the importance of cooperation and addressing any problems through dialogue and consultations so that the three countries can benefit from the river.

K.Q.