On the evening of Thursday 8 July the European Union criticised the Ethiopian authorities for the announcement of the second filling of the controversial Grand Renaissance Dam, despite warnings from Sudan and Egypt.
“Unilateral actions, by any party, are unhelpful to finding a negotiated solution. A jointly agreed clear roadmap is urgently needed, setting out the timeframe and specific aims of the negotiations for talks to resume as soon as possible, and to continue on a regular basis thereafter. The EU continues to call on the parties to resume negotiations”, the European External Action Service spokesperson said in a written statement.
The EU only has observer status in the talks, but in this capacity, “working closely with the United States and the United Nations” it is “ready to continue to support the African Union-led talks, which need to be intensified”, the spokesperson stressed.
She also provided assurances that “the EU is ready to play a more active role, if useful and desirable to all parties, putting forward its rich experience in the management of shared water courses”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)