Dam issue with Ethiopia must be resolved, Sudan’s Hamdok says during Egypt visit

Sudanese PM Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a press conference in Khartoum on Feb. 8, 2021. (File/AFP)

• Hamdok’s remarks were made during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly in Cairo
• Madbouly said Egypt is coordinating with Sudan to seek resolution to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

DUBAI: Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Thursday that issues must be resolved and an agreement reached with Ethiopia regarding the years-long dispute over a massive dam that Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile.
Hamdok’s remarks were made during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly in Cairo, where the Sudanese leader also stressed their support for Egypt’s urgency to resolve the crisis.
Hamdok also said he discussed several issues with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, including the dam dispute.
Meanwhile, Madbouly said Egypt is coordinating with Sudan to seek resolution to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, GERD, as it is formally called, and expressed hope it could end soon.
Madbouly said his country is not opposed to Ethiopia’s development, but it should not harm the interests of Egypt and Sudan.
Earlier today, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell tweeted about his talks with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry about their dam talks.
Egypt last month said it has endorsed a Sudanese proposal to internationalize arbitration in the years-long dispute with Ethiopia over the dam that Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile.
Shuokry said Cairo backs the formation of an “international quartet” including the US, the European Union, and the UN, along with the African Union to facilitate reaching a deal on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam.
The dispute centers on how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the three countries would settle any future disputes. Egypt and Sudan also call for a legally binding agreement on the dam’s filling and operation, while Ethiopia insists on guidelines.