Egypt, Sudan to negotiate on El-Nakda dam project

A new round of talks to address Egypt’s concerns over Ethiopia’s dam has been held in Cairo. The Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri met his Sudanese counterpart Dardari Mohammed Ahmed to addressed fears expressed by Egypt.

This meeting was held on the back of the ministerial committee meeting.

“I see a positive attitude on the part of the (Ethiopian) Prime Minister to eliminate all obstacles, as well as a concern to assign new representatives to remain in constant and intensive communication (with Egypt) in order to eliminate obstacles’‘, Shoukri said.

Egypt fears, the construction of the Renaissance dam on the Blue Nile will reduce the flow of the river on which it depends for 90% of its water supply.

“It is necessary to accelerate the pace of negotiations with Ethiopia on the el-Nahda dam so that this goes in the common interest of all countries, especially after all the time that has already passed’‘, the Egyptian Foreign Minister added.

The Renaissance dam is supposed to become the largest hydroelectric power station in Africa. Egypt insists on its historical rights on the river, guaranteed by treaties dating from 1929 and 1959 which grants nearly 87% of the river’s flow to Egypt and Sudan.

AFP