Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok received UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Wednesday, who had just returned from Addis Ababa after meeting with Ethiopian officials to discuss the situation in Tigray and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.
The execution of the Juba Peace Agreement and the issue over GERD were discussed by Sudan’s prime minister and the visiting UN political and peacebuilding affairs chief. “The meeting examined the problems facing the transitional administration, particularly the democratic transition and the execution of the Juba Peace Agreement,” the Hamdok cabinet said in a statement following the meeting.
DiCarlo emphasized that the UN and UNITAMS “are completely committed to supporting the Sudanese transition to democracy, including the conclusion and execution of the peace process” in a tweet, as well. In addition, DiCarlo reaffirmed the UN’s support for Sudan’s democratic transition and emphasized the need to disarm and integrate Sudanese armed groups, according to the statement.
On the other hand, the Sudanese PM expressed that they support the Ethiopian project, but want a legally binding agreement on the dam’s filling and operation to defend its interests. DiCarlo pointed out that the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) would provide technical support for the solution of the Renaissance Dam dispute.
During a meeting on July 27, the UN political officer discussed the GERD dispute with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen. Mekonnen noted that unnecessary politicization and internationalization of the problem will contribute to nothing but delaying the negotiation process, according to Ethiopia’s foreign ministry.
