(AFP/ file photo)
Talks in the Sudanese capital proceeded between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia concerning the latter’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Water ministers from the three nations met primarily to agree on the formation of a technical committee that would implement the recommendations put forth by a June international tripartite report listing various effects Ethiopia’s dam would have on upstream Nile basin countries.
Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Moteleb arrived to Khartoum on Sunday night with a group of technical experts
The conference is the countries’ second attempt to come to an agreement concerning future action in dealing with the dam. The same delegations met last month for the same purpose. Abdel Moteleb at the time said that consensus would take longer and blamed former president Mohamed Morsi’s national dialogue concerning the dam, which was broadcast live unbeknownst to some participants, for delays in the first session in Khartoum.
Last month Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Fahmy discussed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam with African counterparts ahead of the Arab-African Summit in Kuwait. As downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan fear that the construction of the dam could have a detrimental effect on the share of the Nile water, of which Egypt currently receives the largest portion.
If the latest talks do not prove successful, the delegations will announce another date at which they will meet again to reach a consensus.
