The Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa, announced Kampala’s support for an amicably negotiated solution to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.

Kampala: Altaghyeer – Agencies

Saturday, the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maryam Al-Mahdi, told her Ugandan counterpart, Sam Kutesa, that “Sudan has made all concessions in order to find a solution that addresses the interests of the three countries – Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia – on the Renaissance Dam issue.”

The eastern Nile basin countries failed to find a common consensus formula on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Mahdi-Kutesa meeting in the Ugandan capital Kampala focused on the Nile water files, developments in the Renaissance Dam negotiations, the Sudanese-Ethiopian border, and IGAD’s role in regional stability and peace building.

The Governmental Development Authority (IGAD) is a sub-regional organization, established in 1996, for the purposes of economic integration and maintaining security among its eight countries.

“The Ethiopian side is working to buy time with its obstinacy in the negotiations and imposing a fait accompli policy”, she said.

Ethiopia rejected both Sudanese and Egyptian proposals to expand the number of mediators in the Renaissance Dam negotiations, and postpone the filling process until a binding agreement is reached.

The minister added that her ongoing African tour comes out of Sudan’s keenness to inform African countries about the facts of the GERD negotiations, and to support reaching a legally binding agreement on filling and operating the dam in a way that achieves the interests of the three countries.

Other files

The two sides also discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and their development in all fields, especially economic and regional issues of common concern.

During the meeting, Al-Mahdi stressed that the situation in the region calls for African leaders to build bridges of peace and to support political stability.

She briefed her Ugandan counterpart on the latest developments on the eastern border with Ethiopia.

Dr. Maryam said that Sudan will spare no efforts within IGADframework which will play a leading role establishingsustainable peace.

The Sudanese army had been redeployed into the Fashaqa areaclose to the Ethiopian border, which the latter considered an incursion into its territory.

For his part, Kutesa expressed hope that Sudan and Ethiopia would reach a peaceful solution to the Renaissance Dam and border issues that takes into account common interests and address real concerns.

Kutesa indicated that the negotiated solution must be in the interest of the three parties without causing any harm.

He affirmed Uganda’s readiness to assist all parties in finding a win-win solution.