Feb 25, 2021(Nyamilepedia) — Sudan is expected to propose to the AU chairperson to form a quadripartite mediation team who will facilitate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations.
Last year, Sudan had threatened to withdraw from GERD negotiation as it had held several talks with both Ethiopia and Egypt without getting a conclusive solution.
The latest three-way talks were held last month in the presence of observers from the African Union (AU) and European Union, but failed to make headway.
Sudan now hopes that the new African Union Chairperson, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, who was to arrive in the country on Thursday will help to form a quadripartite mediation to broker the stalled talks.
“The Sudanese government hopes that DRC President Felix Tshisekedi will persuade Ethiopia and Egypt to accept quadripartite mediation that includes the African Union, the European Union and the United States in addition to the United Nations,” a senior Sudanese government official said on Wednesday.
The official who preferred anonymity further said that the African Union, under the presidency of South Africa, failed to make tangible progress in the talks and also failed to bring Ethiopia to coordinate with Sudan in the first phase of filling the dam in July 2020.
Sudan calls for a mediation that can help progress and break the stalled process pointing to the failure of the direct talks between the three riparian countries which continue for more than nine years.
The Sudanese government says that rapid progress should be made in the talks before the start of the second phase of filling next July with about 13.5 billion cubic meters.
Before arriving in Khartoum, Luaba held talks on the GERD in Cairo with the Egyptian government delegation headed by Foreign Minister Sameh Soukry.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said Ahmed Hafez said that Minister Shukri supports the Sudanese proposition of the quadripartite mediation
“Minister Shoukry discussed with the Congolese delegation the Sudanese proposal which is supported by Egypt, to develop the negotiating mechanism of the Renaissance Dam through the formation of an international quartet includes, in addition to the African Union, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations,” said Hafez.
He further added that the multilateral mediation would be working under the auspices of President Tshisekedi.
Egypt was previously against mediation by the African Union.
The European Union and the United States are already involved in the process as observers.
