Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan resume Nile dam talks
Monday January 4, 2021
The three countries are seeking to resolve a row over the huge dam on
the Blue Nile. The controversial structure has been almost a decade in
the making but there is optimism a deal could be reached by the end of
January. Three-way objectives
Ethiopia claims the hydroelectric power produced at the
dam is essential for it to meet the energy needs of its population.
Ethiopia also insists downstream countries' water supplies will not be
adversely affected.
However, the other two countries at the resumed talks have expressed concerns.
Egypt,
which relies on the Nile for about 97% of its irrigation and drinking
water, fears the dam would severely cut its water supplies.
Sudan
is hopeful the dam will help ease flooding fears, but has also warned
that millions of lives would be at "great risk" if no binding agreement
was reached.
The three African nations at the center of a spat
over the controversial building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
resumed talks on Sunday, officials said.
Egypt, Ethiopia and
Sudan reopened their yearslong negotiations just six weeks after Sudan
boycotted the last round of discussions. It had urged continental body
the African Union to play a greater role in reaching a consensus over
the disputed dam on the Blue Nile.
The three Nile Valley
countries held a fresh round of talks by video conference in the virtual
presence of South African officials, as well as other international
observers. South Africa is the current head of the African Union's
rotating council.
Hoping for a conclusion within weeks
"The
meeting concluded ... that this week will be devoted to bilateral talks
between the three countries, the experts, and the observers," Sudan's
Water Ministry said in a statement.
This week's negotiations
will pave the way "for the resumption of tripartite negotiations on
Sunday January 10 in the hope of concluding by the end of January," the
ministry added.
