December 15, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan seeks African solutions to address the differences about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), said Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on Monday.
While the Ethiopian Minister of Irrigation arrived in Khartoum for talks with his Sudanese counterpart to discuss the resumption of negotiations on the giant dam following his recent meeting with his Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa during the weekend.
Hamdok told reporters that he and Ahmed discussed Sudan’s return to the tripartite negotiating table, as Sudan suspended its participation after several rounds of fruitless talks facilitated by South African government, the chairman of the African Union Bureau.
"Our official position continues to adhere to African Union’s leadership in the Renaissance Dam issue," further stressed.
Hamdok further stated that the Ethiopian Minister of Irrigation arrived in Khartoum Monday to discuss the resumption of negotiations under South African sponsorship.
The Sudanese delegation suspended its participation in the GERD negotiations because Egypt and Ethiopia declined its proposal to involve a joint regional and international mediation.
On Monday, the Sudan News Agency reported that Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, had arrived in Khartoum to "discuss ways to resume the tripartite negotiations on the Renaissance Dam between Khartoum, Addis Ababa and Cairo."
Bekele and his Sudanese counterpart Yasir Abbas held a meeting to discuss "ways to overcome the obstacles hindering an agreement that takes into account the interests of the three parties."
