Ethiopia demanded data exchange agreement: Sudanese official
April 24, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Ethiopia had demanded a data exchange agreement and now they propose to start this process without an accord, said the Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasir Abbas on Friday.
Earlier this month, Khartoum and Cairo rejected a proposal made by Addis Ababa to exchange data on the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without striking a legally binding agreement the downstream countries call for.
The Ethiopian proposal came after a report released by the Sudanese government on the GERD showing the damage caused by the unilateral first filling of the GERD reservoir with only 4.9 billion cubic meters.
In July 2021, Ethiopia says determined to fill the reservoir for the second year in July with 13.5 million cubic meters of water, whether an agreement is reached or not.
“We are surprised by Ethiopia’s proposal to exchange data without signing an agreement, as they demanded in an official letter on December 8, 2020, by the Ethiopian Minister of Irrigation,” said Abbas in a tweet on Friday.
He further added that Ethiopia dodges signing an agreement and seeks to buy time to render the filling of the GERD a fait-accompli.
The giant hydropower dam was designed in 2011 to be the cornerstone of Ethiopia’s bid to become the largest source of energy in Africa, generating more than 6000 MW.
However, Ethiopia recently demands to include water sharing in the talks on the GERD filling and operation. Also, Addis Ababa accused the two downstream countries of seeking
The Sudanese minister rejected this claim saying that the agreement does not “diminish the sovereignty or rights of Ethiopia”.
“On the contrary, it provides Ethiopia with its full set of rights and protects the interests of Sudan,” he added.
In case of …
Abbas further warned that his government is considering various options to protect the country from the risks of the dam and its environmental and social impacts.
These options include “The International Court of Justice, The Human Rights Commissions, and the COMESA Court,” he said.
Also, if Ethiopia unilaterally completes the second filling without an agreement, Sudan will “file lawsuits against the Italian contracting company and against the Ethiopian government,” he underlined.
He added that his government will launch a diplomatic campaign and mobilize global and regional public opinion to press Ethiopia to sign a binding legal agreement.
(ST)