UN Security Council to meet Monday on Ethiopia dam

The United Nations Security Council plans to meet Monday to discuss Egypt and Sudan's objections to Ethiopia's construction of a mega-dam on the Nile River, diplomatic sources said Thursday. The public video conference was called by the United States on behalf of Egypt, according to the sources. Ethiopia wants to start filling the reservoir for the 475-foot (145-meter) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in July, with or without approval from the two other countries. Egypt sees the structure as an "existential" threat and Sudan on Thursday warned of "great risk" to millions of human lives if the dam plan moves forward. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday he would meet with the prime minister of Sudan shortly. "The only way out in a situation like this is through dialogue among the parties and we are entirely at the disposal of the parties," he said. The Council already met informally, also at Egypt's request, behind closed doors Monday to discuss letters sent by the involved countries expressing their concerns. "We urge Egypt, we urge Ethiopia and Sudan to work together to intensify efforts to peacefully resolve outstanding differences," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said then. Dujarric reminded the parties of "the importance of the 2015 Declaration of Principles on the dam" that stressed the need for cooperation based on good faith, international law and mutual benefit. Ethiopia says the dam is essential to its development, while Sudan and Egypt fear it could restrict their citizens' water access. The Nile -- which flows some 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) as one of the longest rivers in the world -- is an essential source of water and electricity for dozens of countries in East Africa. Egypt fulfills 97 percent of its water needs from the river alone. Flash flooding kills three in Ivory Coast
Abidjan (AFP) June 25, 2020 - Torrential rains turned the streets of Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan into rivers on Thursday, flooding homes, flipping cars and killing three people.

The city's firefighters said that two people died in the devastation, but a journalist said he saw the body of a third victim.

"In half an hour, the water rose a metre and a half (five feet). We had to take refuge on the roof of our house as a torrent ran down the street," journalist Thomas Diego told AFP.

His production company is located in the wealthy eastern area of Cite Reconciliation, which -- along with neighbouring Cite Allabra -- was covered with mud as the floodwaters swept away cars, leaving some overturned.

Cite Reconciliation's four-metre-high metal entrance gate was torn off and taken away, while the walls of houses collapsed and a streetlight fell onto one home.

The three-hour downpour hit in the middle of the day and by the afternoon residents armed with brooms and mops were trying to inspect and hopefully fix the damage.

"Everything is ruined inside," said one resident Acket.

"We don't know where to go now, we can't sleep in the house, we turn to God," lamented another, Kevin Brou.

The fresh blow to the West African country's economic capital comes after 16 people were killed in a mudslide following heavy rains on Thursday last week.

Landslides and floods are common during Abidjan's rainy season, wreaking havoc on shantytowns built into eroding hillsides in the undulating seaside city.

The rainy season in the city, which is home to some five million people, began in May and normally lasts until the end of July.

Eighteen people died in Abidjan during flooding in June 2018.

Following those floods, the authorities destroyed the housing in the most vulnerable parts of the city where people had built homes wherever they found the space to do so.

In the working-class area of Adjame-Williamsville on Thursday, street traders said they barely had time to collect their goods and flee the rising water.

But 30 minutes after the deluge, the traders had their wares back on the streets, amid a dissipating sea of garbage, with the wet trunks of trees still showing how high the floodwaters had reached.

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UN urges Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan to 'work together' in Nile dam dispute
United Nations, United States (AFP) June 22, 2020
The UN on Monday urged Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to "work together" to resolve differences over Addis Ababa's Nile River mega-dam which has been a long-running source of regional tension. At Egypt's request, the Security Council was scheduled to hold an informal videoconference Monday afternoon to address the dispute. Recent talks failed to produce a deal on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which will be the largest hydropower plant in Africa. "We urge Egyp ... read more