Egypt asks Kiir to publicly announce position on Ethiopian dam dispute

JUBA – The Egyptian government has asked South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to publicly announce the position of the government of South Sudan on its dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a foreign ministry official told Sudans Post this afternoon.

Egypt, a downstream country, has been on loggerheads with Ethiopia, the upstream country where the Blue Nile which supplies over 80% of Nile water originates, over the terms of operation for the GERD.

South Sudan has been silent and there have been reports that the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit was giving a piece of land to the Egyptian government to operate a military base in the country’s eastern border just before Ethiopia.

South Sudan has so far dismissed that report and has remained silent since then, something which has reportedly worried Egypt.

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, a foreign ministry official said a meeting between Egyptian intelligence chief, General Abbas Kamel, and President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday discussed South Sudan’s position on the dispute.

“There was a closed-door meeting between H.E the President of the Republic of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit and Director of the Egyptian Intelligence service General Abbas Kamel who led the delegation from the Arab Republic of Egypt. The delegation,” the official said from Juba.

“The Egyptian delegation asked President Salva Kiir to publicly announce South Sudan’s support for Egypt on the dispute with Ethiopia over the Dam,” the official said.