Khartoum affirmed its categorical rejection of any unilateral move that would harm Sudan by starting the process of filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without reaching an agreement, while Egypt requested the Security Council to intervene.
In a statement, the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Asma Mohamed Abdullah, stressed the need for all parties to commit to negotiations in good faith, to observe the relevant rules of international law, and to give priority to the spirit of cooperation achieved in the interests of the peoples of the three countries (Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt).
The Minister affirmed that Sudan will continue to make all efforts within the framework of its current initiative aimed at continuing negotiations and dialogue as the best way to achieve the interests of the three countries to reach a just and balanced agreement.
She noted Sudan's keenness to protect and secure its national interests, while adhering to the principles of international law and giving precedence to language of cooperation and dialogue.
The Sudanese Minister stated that recent rounds of negotiations on the Renaissance Dam had made tangible progress in technical issues, which strengthened the conviction of the importance of the three countries' adherence to the option of negotiation as the best way to reach a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement.
She added that the dispute still exists on some fundamental legal issues, which necessitated referring the file to the prime ministers of the three countries with the aim of reaching a political consensus that would in turn lead to the resumption and completion of negotiations as soon as possible.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Guido Andar Gashiu had announced that Addis Ababa would begin the process of filling the reservoir of the Renaissance Dam in July, whether an agreement was reached or not.
Gashiu accused Egypt of exaggerating its propaganda on the Renaissance Dam, and that it was engaged in a political gamble, as he put it, adding that his country would not ask permission from anyone to implement development projects on its water resources.
He stressed that the Renaissance Dam project should be a reason for regional cooperation and integration, not a cause for promoting war.
In response to these statements, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the UN Security Council to intervene to resume the talks.
The ministry said in a statement that it called on the council to intervene in order to ensure continued negotiation in good faith, and to reach a just and balanced solution to the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
It also called on Egypt in its request not to take any unilateral measures that might affect the chances of reaching an agreement.
Earlier, the US National Security Council called on the Ethiopian government to reach a fair settlement of the Renaissance Dam.
The council stated in a tweet that 275 million people in eastern Africa are counting on Ethiopia to show strong leadership, which means a fair deal.
It is noteworthy that Egypt and Ethiopia alluded earlier that they might resort to taking military steps to protect their interests in the Renaissance Dam, and experts fear that the collapse of the talks could lead to conflict.