Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok expressed his country’s readiness to engage in any initiative that leads to a peaceful solution to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis. He noted that bringing the GERD issue before the Security Council came to strengthen the current negotiating umbrella under the African Union. Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally binding agreement, while Ethiopia says any pact should be advisory. They presented the GERD issue at a UN Security Council hearing in July in hopes of bringing more international players into the negotiation process. Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements.
