African Union mediates Ethiopia dam talks

African Union mediates Ethiopia dam talks
The African Union mediated a round of talks Monday between ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on Addis Ababa's controversial Nile dam project, an Egyptian ministry said.

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The two Arab countries have called for a legally binding dispute resolution process (Getty)

The African Union mediated a round of talks Monday between ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on Addis Ababa's controversial Nile dam project, an Egyptian ministry said.

The irrigation ministry said another virtual meeting would be held on Thursday following two days of talks between technical and judicial committees.

The US and the EU took part as observers in the latest meeting, at which AU experts submitted a report.

Read more: Ethiopia's Great Renaissance Dam - A catastrophe for Egypt?

Sudan's Irrigation Minister Yasser Abed, in a statement, said the AU's proposals could lead to an accord "within two weeks", without elaborating.

The main sticking point has been the filling of the dam, the first phase of which Ethiopia said last month that it had completed.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.

Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat to vital water supplies, while Ethiopia considers it crucial for its electrification and development.

The two Arab countries have called for a legally binding dispute resolution process, but Ethiopia, in several rounds of AU-led talks, has resisted that.


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