The call began at 04:00 p.m. East African time (13:00 GMT), according to a tweet from Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s water minister. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), situated in western Ethiopia on the Blue Nile River, has been contentious ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011. Egypt and Sudan view it as a threat to vital water supplies, while Ethiopia considers it crucial for its electrification and development. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to yield a breakthrough on how the dam will be managed and operated. Meeting in Khartoum on Saturday, the prime ministers of Sudan and Egypt said they were optimistic that the talks would ultimately bear fruit.

Source: Ethiopian News August 16, 2020 16:07 UTC