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Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan Agree to More Talks to Resolve Dam Feud

Ethiopia Upbeat on Resolving Dam Feud With Egypt, Sudan

Egypt and Sudan agreed to hold further talks with Ethiopia in a bid to resolve a long-running feud over a giant dam the latter nation is building on a tributary of the Nile river.

African Union-brokered negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam resumed on Tuesday after a seven-week break and adjourned after an agreement was reached to spend the next seven days finalizing a time-line for future talks and narrowing outstanding differences.

Egypt and Sudan want a binding legal agreement to be reached that guarantees rules on filling and operating the dam. Sudan also asked to restructure negotiations with a view of enhancing the role of experts.

The resumption of negotiations came days after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Egypt could blow up the multi-billion dollar structure. He criticized Ethiopia for rejecting U.S. recommendations to end the impasse. The nations have previously failed to agree on how quickly Ethiopia can fill the reservoir, with its neighbors concerned about the impact on the flow of water downstream.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.