Karti in Ethiopia to discuss Nile dam, Sudan-South Sudan conflicts
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
June 12, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – Sudanese foreign minister Ali Ahmed Karti has met with Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa, where they discussed the recent tensions between Sudan and South Sudan, as well as Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam project
Karti’s visit on Tuesday comes as the row between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile escalated this week, raising fears of a potential conflict over water resources.
In an apparent threat to Ethiopia , Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi said “all options are open on the table” in reference to sabotage plans voiced by some Egyptian politicians, which were inadvertently broadcast by state television.
At the meeting chaired by Morsi, options such as military action and providing support to rebels were put forward to halt construction of the dam project.
Ethiopia responded on Tuesday by downplaying Egypt’s war of words as “psychological warfare” and stressing that it will press ahead with the project despite what it labelled Egypt’s “destructive propaganda”.
During the discussions, Ethiopian prime minister commended Sudan’s position on the final findings of the panel of international experts which had been tasked to assess the impacts of Ethiopia’s dam on lower riparian countries, such as Sudan and Egypt.
Desalegn told Karti that Ethiopia is committed to discussing any comment provided by downstream countries, particularly from Egypt, over the panel’s report, which concluded that Ethiopia’s Nile dam project would result in no significant harm to Sudan and Egypt.
The Sudanese foreign minister said his government accepts the final report of the panel as it has dispelled previous uncertainties about the project and agreed with Addis Ababa’s assertion that the dam will in fact be beneficial to downstream countries.
Karti’s visit to Ethiopia is seen as a sign of solidarity over the massive project which Ethiopia insists will not harm other Nile basin countries but rather supply them with clean energy and reduce sedimentation in their territory.
Both Desalegn and Karti have also vowed to further strengthen existing bilateral relations in all aspects.
SUDAN, SOUTH SUDAN CONFLICT
The Sudanese foreign minister asked the Ethiopian government to play a leading role in settling the challenges facing the implementation of previous agreements on post-secession issues between Sudan and South Sudan.
Seen as a neutral mediator by both Sudans, Ethiopia has played a crucial role in facilitating and hosing talks on a range of outstanding issues between both countries since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
The two East African nations signed a cooperation agreement in September 2012 and a matrix for its implementation in March this year covering security, oil and border issues.
South Sudan resumed oil production in April following a 15-month stand-off over how much Juba should pay Khartoum to refine its crude and export it to international markets via Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir announced this week that he was ordering the shutdown of oil flows, alleging that South Sudan was backing rebels operating in Sudan.
Juba denies backing Sudanese rebels and accuses Khartoum of supporting militia in its territory. Since oil production was first stopped in January 2012, South Sudan has been planning a new pipeline to the East African coast.
The Ethiopian prime minister has expressed his country’s continued support to peacefully resolving the ongoing differences and misunderstandings between Sudan and South Sudan.
(ST)