Ethiopia and Sudan have said they would make every effort to reach a deal on a giant hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River that has caused a bitter dispute between Addis Ababa and Cairo over water supplies. The talks between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt should lead to a formula that makes the dam a tool for regional integration, the statement added. The GERD, situated in western Ethiopia on the Blue Nile River, has been contentious since Ethiopia broke ground on the $4bn project in 2011. The two downstream nations, Egypt and Sudan, have repeatedly insisted Ethiopia must not start filling the reservoir without reaching a deal first. For Egypt, which depends on the Nile River to supply its farmers and a booming population of 100 million with fresh water, the dam poses an existential threat.

Source: Ethiopian News August 25, 2020 18:22 UTC