Arab states have called on the UN Security Council to hold a discussion on Ethiopia’s controversial plan to fill a new hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile, said Arab League Secretary-General Aboul Gheit.
Ethiopia attaches its hopes for economic development and power generation to the dam. Egypt trusts the river for as much as 90% of its fresh water and sees the dam as a potential existential threat. Sudan is concerned about the operation of its own Nile dams and water stations.
The foreign ministers of the Arab League, who met in Qatar, agreed on “steps to be taken gradually” to support Egypt and Sudan in the dispute, Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the press conference without giving details.
The Arab states called on the parties to negotiate seriously and refrain from any unilateral measures that would harm other countries, he added, in a clear reference to Ethiopia’s plan to complete the second phase of filling the dam during the rainy season.
Sudan and Egypt had already agreed this month to work together to force Ethiopia to negotiate an agreement to fill and operate the dam after the African Union – sponsored talks remain deadlocked.
The two countries, which are downstream of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, called on the international community to intervene. Aboul Gheit described water security in Egypt and Sudan as an integral part of Arab national security.
Ethiopia has previously rejected calls from Egypt and Sudan to involve mediators outside the African Union.
Sudan on Monday said it was open to a partial interim agreement on the multi-billion dollar dam, with specific terms.
Tuesday’s meeting was the first gathering of Arab states that Qatar has hosted since Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a boycott on Doha in mid-2017 over allegations that Qatar supported “terrorism”, a charge it denies.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed in January to restore diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Doha.
.
