Sudan rejects the division of waters, and demands unconditional negotiations; Ethiopia tops its unilateral activities!!!

By: Dr. Ahmed Mufti

1. It was reported in today’s newspapers that the Sudanese Foreign Minister has confirmed that Sudan and Egypt reject the issue of water division, arguing that negotiations among Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia are the only solution to the Renaissance Dam conflict.

2. In addition, he stressed that if the mediators insist on imposing the issue of water division, no agreement would be reached.

3. In our opinion, the problem of the Renaissance Dam lies in Ethiopia’s refusal to “seriously” negotiate, which is different from the negotiation that has continued since 2011 and stalled after protests by Sudan and Egypt to the UN Security Council, labeling negotiations absurd while Ethiopia continues its unilateral activities.

4. We believe that the Sudanese Foreign Minister knows for sure that the negotiations he demanded will not solve the problem, and the witness to this is that Sudan has already protested against them before the UN Security Council.

5. Therefore, what is required of Sudan is to insist that negotiations be preceded by Ethiopia’s suspension of its unilateral activities in the dam because that will turn it from “absurd” negotiations to “serious” negotiations.

6. As for the issue of water sharing, it is no longer required internationally, but what is required is water utilization; however, the existence of water sharing, between some riparian countries, without others, needs to be discussed and resolved, in addition to other topics in the legal agreement, which is called for by Sudan and Egypt. We have already made proposals in that regard that preserves the interests of the three countries.