Sudan appeals AU to play bigger role in Nile dam talks

Khartoum, Jan 12 : Sudan hA reiterated its adherence to the necessity of giving the African Union (AU) experts a bigger role in the negotiations on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile river.
Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Monday met ministers of foreign affairs and irrigation, reports Xinhua news agency.
During the meeting, Al-Burhan was briefed on the developments of tripartite talks among Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt on the dam as well as the reason behind the recent impasse, said the sovereign council in a statement.
Yasir Abbas, Sudan’s irrigation and water resources minister, said following the meeting that Sudan supports the AU’s role as a facilitator in the talks.
“During the last period, the talks were infeasible because the positions of the three countries diverged from the start. That’s the reason why Sudan constantly insists that the AU should play its natural role in facilitating the negotiation process,” Abbas added.
The Minister also reiterated Sudan’s belief that negotiation is the proper solution for the GERD issue through a fair deal for all parties.