Ethiopia, Egypt ease tensions over Nile dam, agree to hold tripartite talks including Sudan
June 18, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA/KHARTOUM) – After weeks of verbal confrontations Ethiopia and Egypt on Tuesday agreed to cool down their tension over Nile water and to engage further tripartite consultations, including Sudan, on the impact of the construction of a controversial dam.
Accordingly, foreign ministers of Ethiopia and Egypt along with Sudan’s will conduct further consultations at both technical and political level so as the countries particularly Egypt implements the final findings and recommendations forwarded by the international panel of experts.
The 10-member panel, which is composed of two experts from Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia and four international prominent experts, was tasked to assess the potential impacts of Ethiopia’s massive dam project on downstream countries of Sudan and Egypt.
In its final report released last May, the panel reportedly stated that Ethiopia’s Nile dam, which is being built near Sudan border, won’t have significant effect on downstream countries but will on the contrary benefit them.
Sudan accepted the final findings and further affirmed that it will send experts and technicians to help the construction of the 4.8 billion dollar power plant project.
Egypt however wasn’t happy with the panel’s report as well as with Ethiopia’s move of diverting the flow of the Nile River leading to the level of exchanging war of words with Ethiopia.
The two-day meeting between Ethiopia’s and Egypt’s foreign ministers aimed to defuse these tensions that were carrying a potential military confrontation over the Nile water resources.
“Both ministers have agreed as per the terms of reference of the international panel of Experts to immediately initiate consultations among Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on how to move forward with the implementations of its recommendations including the recommended studies to be conducted”, said Tedros.
With this regard, the Ethiopian Minister welcomed Egypt’s initiative to engage on consultations with Addis Ababa and Khartoum.
He also welcomed invitations offered from his Egyptian counterpart to visit Cairo in the near future.
The Egyptian foreign minister, to his side, expressed Egypt’s long standing water security concerns while admitting hostile remarks made by him and other Egyptian officials.
“Some pronouncements were made in the heat of the moment because of emotions. They are behind us”, Mohamed Kamel Amr said.
Amr last week said “No Nile – No Egypt” expressing his country’s strong position with regard to Nile water which is the lifeline to millions of Egyptians.
“We have a plan for action, which will start soon. We will talk to Ethiopia and we’ll see what comes of it”, Amr then said when asked possible actions Egypt might take if a diplomatic effort to end the stand-off fails.
In today’s news conference however the Egyptian minister said that his country is now embarking a mutual cooperation with Ethiopia.
“Now we are for the developmental efforts of Ethiopia. We really want to work and to help on that but as the mean time we are sure that Ethiopia is very determined not to hurt Egypt in any ways especially when it comes to water”, Amr said.
STOP IN KHARTOUM
The Egyptian foreign minister stopped in Khartoum before to return home on the same day to brief Sudanese officials about the talks he had in Addis Ababa about the Renaissance dam.
Amr told reporters following a meeting with the Sudanese state minister for foreign affairs Salah Wansi, that a technical committee at the level of the ministries of irrigation in the three countries will meet to discuss the report of the ten experts, in order to avoid any environmental side effects or anything else on the downstream countries.
The minister stressed that he held cordial and positive meetings with his Ethiopian counterpart pointing out that the irrigations ministers also will meet soon.
He disclosed that it is agreed in Addis Ababa on the need for a political track, at the level of foreign ministries; besides the technical one to discuss issues related to the interests of the three countries.
Sudan earlier this month dissociated itself from Cairo and approved the project of the Ethiopian dam which is dedicated to produce electricity.
(ST)