South Sudan Supports AU Led Tripartite Negotiation on GERD

Addis Ababa May 26/2021 (ENA) South Sudan supports the ongoing tripartite negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) under the leadership of the African Union (AU), South Sudan Ambassador to Ethiopia James P. Morgan said.

Ambassador P. Morgan told ENA that as a resource shared by the basin countries, the Nile River should be equally utilized by all nations of the region without hindrances.

Projects undertaken using the water should be looked at on the basis of their developmental benefits and the pertinent nations are expected to exert the utmost efforts to peacefully address the problems, he added.    

The ambassador expressed his belief that the disputes being observed on the GERD would bring the three countries to a peaceful and sustainable solution through the ongoing AU led negotiation.

According to him, the AU is capable to handling such disputes and provides the necessary solutions to address the problem. Attempts to invite the UN and other actors to mediate is pointless, he noted.

Ambassador Morgan also urged the AU to find a lasting and achievable solution to the problem in order to realize the “African Solutions to African Problems” principle.   

Elaborating on his point, he said: "This issue shouldn’t be discussed outside of the continent. It is an issue that affects our continent. This is an issue that affects our region.... In the African Union we have a slogan ‘African Solutions to African Problems’ this is one of the problems that African Union should take full responsibility to resolve. The Union should not sit there as an observer, but sit there as a body that is given responsibility to assure that this continent is peaceful, to assure that the people of this continent are prosperous. Because that is one of the agendas of 2063."

Ambassador Morgan commended Ethiopia’s relentless efforts to the existing peace and stability in South Sudan, describing Ethiopia as “the midwife of South Sudanese Peace.”

According to him, priorities have been given to enhancing the bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and South Sudan by expanding air transport, train, and road infrastructures.

Discussions have been undertaken in this regard with the pertinent government officials in Ethiopia and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed.

"The ultimate goal for us to do at this time is to link Juba and Addis Ababa through many means. Air will be there, a railway line that comes from Djibouti up to Addis Ababa needs to proceed to Juba and also we need to have permanent road that really bring this relationship."  

He also underscored the need for Ethiopia to play its pivotal role in paving ways to realize economic integration across the East African region by ensuring its internal peace and stability.