Sudan dismisses Egypt's accusation on dam talks

By Mohammed Amin KHARTOUM, Sudan Sudan on Wednesday dismissed Egyptian accusations that it had impeded trilateral technical talks over a dam on the Blue Nile River. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shokry accused Sudan and Ethiopia of hampering the talks held on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GRED) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa last week. Shokry said the deadlock has persisted for more than a year due to continued reservations expressed by Sudan and Ethiopia over a preliminary report by a French firm. The Sudanese Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said in a statement remarks by the Egyptian side will hinder the positive environment that had recently been reached. “We regret the Egyptian minister's speech that contradicts the recent positive atmosphere between the two countries. Sudan is playing a positive role to bridge differences between the Ethiopia and Egypt, so the allegations are questionable," the statement read. Last week, during a visit by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Khartoum both countries reiterated their commitment to the principals signed between leaders of the three countries over the dam in 2015. The foreign and water ministers of the three countries failed to achieve a breakthrough in the over 15-hours talks held in April. Khartoum and Cairo ties have been fluctuated in the past years, but the two countries have agreed to solve their disputes peacefully after a visit of the Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir to Cairo and a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdul Fattah al-Sisi last March.