Tripartite Negotiation Scheme to Deny Ethiopia's Right to Use Nile: GERD Negotiator

Addis Ababa June 23/2020 (ENA) The position reflected at the tripartite negotiation is a scheme employed to deny Ethiopia the right of to utilize Nile River, members of the GERD negotiating team revealed.

A webinar that brought together scholars from home and aboard to discuss the dam, reach consensus, establish a national movement was held yesterday.

Speaking at the webinar, GERD negotiating team member Yilma Silesh noted that the objective of Ethiopia in building the dam has been to generate electricity by utilizing its resources without causing harm to anyone.

According to him, the two negotiating countries had neither consulted nor asked permission when they built various dams on Nile River.  

Ironically, both countries have been speaking about the possibility of collapse of the dam, reduction of their water share, and now the harm that could be caused following the filling of the dam, he elaborated.

And finally they have come up with the allegation that Ethiopia is building the dam without consulting the other countries.

The real issue in the tripartite negotiations is not the dam, but a scheme employed to deny Ethiopia its right to use  Nile River, the expert underlined.

Yilema pointed out that though the countries want to use the filling of the dam hostage their stand is that one cannot utilize the river without our permission.

Ethiopia does not need the permission of anyone to either fill the dam or use Nile River,

he stressed.

The other member of the negotiation team, Ambassador Ibrahim Idris said on his part that the legal framework proposed by Egypt is meant to deny Ethiopia's right to use GERD and the Nile River.

He noted that the bets solution for Ethiopians is now to unite and complete the dam.

Underscoring that there is no agreement that impedes the filling of the dam, Ambassador Ibrahim stated that Ethiopia will start filling the dam based on the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by the three countries in Khartoum.  

Scholars from various institutions attended the webinar.