Saudi Arabia offers support for Egypt, Sudan in Ethiopia dam dispute

A worker goes down a construction ladder at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia. (File/AFP)

• Kingdom calls on international community to intensify efforts to find clear mechanism to start negotiations to end the crisis
• Ethiopia started the second phase of filling a controversial mega-dam on the upper Nile River, Egypt said, raising tensions ahead of an upcoming UN Security Council on the issue

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday stated its support for Egypt and Sudan in preserving their water rights amid heightened tensions over Ethiopia’s Nile dam project.
The Kingdom’s foreign ministry said it was important to stabilize water security for Egypt, Sudan, the Arab world and the African continent.
The statement came a day after Egypt’s irrigation minister said he had received a notice from Ethiopia saying it had started filling the Grand Renaissance Dam’s reservoir for the second time, a move rejected by Cairo.
The Kingdom said it also “supported Egypt and Sudan’s efforts to contain the crisis and their demands to reach a solution, in accordance with the rules of international law.”
The foreign ministry said the Kingdom supported international moves aimed at finding a binding solution to end the dispute.
“The Kingdom calls on the international community to intensify efforts to find a clear mechanism to start negotiations between the three countries (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia) to get out of this crisis, in line with their interests and the interests of the Nile Basin countries and the future of the peoples of the region, according to international auspices and in agreement with the African Union and the Arab League,” the statement said.
The UN Security Council is set to hold a meeting on Thursday, after Arab states requested the 15-member body address the issue.