RIYADH (Somaliguardian) – Saudi Arabia said it would stand in solidarity with Egypt and Sudan in an escalating dispute with Ethiopia over a mega dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile River.
It came after Ethiopia announced on Tuesday it had begun the second phase of the construction of the dam’s reservoir.
Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA said the kingdom threw its weight behind Egypt and Sudan in “preserving their legitimate water rights”, and their efforts “to contain this crisis and their demands to solve it in accordance with the rules of international law”.
“The kingdom calls on the international community to intensify efforts to find a clear mechanism to start negotiations between the three countries to get out of this crisis,” it added.
The statement follows a draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council by Tunisia, calling on Ethiopia to cease filling the Renaissance Dam before the 15-member body’s meeting on Thursday.
The draft resolution, obtained by the AFP news agency, calls on Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan “to resume negotiations at the joint invitation of the Chairperson of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to finalise, within a period of six months, the text of a binding agreement on the filing and operation of the GERD”.
Ethiopia had earlier accused Arab League member states of interfering in the dispute which had to be solved through African Union-sponsored talks.
Contact us: info@somaliguardian.com
