Sudan FM to start African tour over GERD issue

April 26, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Maryam Al-Mahdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is visiting a number of African countries to explain Sudan’s position on the process of filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Monday that the visit will include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the Sudanese government affirmed its confidence in the African Union’s efforts to reach quick and effective solutions to the GERD issue, addressing the concerns of the downstream countries, especially in the filling and operation processes.

The minister will meet the leaders of the 4 countries to brief them about the Sudanese position on how to resolve the existing dispute over the giant dam.

The meeting with President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, Chairperson of the African Union, confirms Sudan’s support to the Congo leadership of the mediation to “reach a just and satisfactory solution for all parties, including a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD in accordance with the international law,” stressed the statement.

Sudan proposes African Union-led mediation with the participation of the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

Ethiopia rejects this proposition pointing it prefers an African solution with the support of the EU and U.S. facilitators.

(ST)