The Canada-Egypt Parliamentary Friendship Group (CEPFG) has voiced its deep concern over the deadlock in negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
According to a statement circulated by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Saturday, the CEPFG said Ethiopia's plan to implement the second phase of the filling of the dam without reaching an agreement with the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan, violates the Declaration of Principles (DoP), signed in 2015 and relevant international law articles.
The CEPFG, representing different political parties in Canada, stressed that the Nile water is important to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, noting the Nile is the sole source of water for more than 105 million Egyptians
It voiced its regret that Ethiopia intends to fill the dam for the second time regardless of the negotiations, adding that this poses grave threats to the use of water in Egypt and Sudan.
The parliamentary association called for not taking any unilateral measures by Ethiopia, which would hinder the negotiations and destabilize the East Africa region.
Canada can play a diplomatic role in helping parties concerned reach a just solution to the crisis, it further said.
For his part, Egyptian Ambassador to Canada Ahmed Abu Zeid thanked the CEPFG members for following up on the important issue and its keenness on supporting negotiations to reach a legally binding and comprehensive deal on filling and operating the disputed dam in a move meant to achieve the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating for almost a decade now with Ethiopia to reach a legally binding and comprehensive deal on the GERD’s construction, which Addis Ababa started to build on the Blue Nile in 2011.
Ethiopia’s rejection of several proposals by Egypt and Sudan on the negotiation mechanism, which includes international quartet mediation, has led to the collapse of the Kinshasa talks sponsored by the AU in April.
Egypt’s 100 million-plus population depends on the Nile for over 95 percent of its fresh water.
Sudan fears the GERD will put the operation of its Roseires dam and the lives of 20 million Sudanese citizens at “a very high risk” if an agreement regulating the operation and filling of GERD is not reached before the second filling of the dam in July.
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