GERD Talks Held in Kinshasa, AU Calls for ‘Solid Regional Cooperation’

The Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese foreign and water ministers meet in Kinshasa. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
The Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese foreign and water ministers meet in Kinshasa. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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GERD Talks Held in Kinshasa, AU Calls for ‘Solid Regional Cooperation’

The Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese foreign and water ministers meet in Kinshasa. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
The Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese foreign and water ministers meet in Kinshasa. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Foreign and irrigation ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan held talks in Kinshasa on Sunday over the controversial mega dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who took over the chair of the African Union in February, expressed hope for the success of the talks by offering technical and judicial proposals, pending a final agreement on the issue.

In a press conference on Sunday, Tshisekedi said the differences over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) should be seen as an opportunity for greater rapprochement among peoples and means for solid cooperation between regional countries.

He called on the participating delegations to “make a fresh start, to open one or several windows of hope, to seize every opportunity.”

The AU chair also stressed the importance of finding ways to hold talks, exchange views and information and reach an agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the three countries.

Tshisekedi pointed to willingness of the participants “to seek African solutions for African problems together.”

He concluded by urging relevant officials to translate the people’s will on ground to reach an agreement on the decade-long dispute.

On Saturday, experts from Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Cairo and the AU held preliminary meetings at the level of foreign and irrigation ministers to discuss reaching an agreement over the operation and filling of the GERD.

Tshisekedi later received both Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty.

Shoukry handed Tshisekedi a letter from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in which he stressed Egypt’s keenness on the success of the negotiations.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Cairo welcomes the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s efforts to launch a negotiation process that would eventually lead to a fair, balanced and legally binding agreement that guarantees the interests of the three countries, bolsters complementarity and cooperation relations and deepens the bonds of brotherhood among their peoples.

Sisi highlighted his country’s sincere political will to reach the desired agreement as soon as possible and before the upcoming rainy season, voicing full support for Tshisekedi’s efforts in this regard.

The Nile, the world’s longest river, is a lifeline supplying both water and electricity to the 10 countries it crosses.

Upstream Ethiopia says hydroelectric power produced by the GERD will be vital to meet the energy needs of its 110 million people.

Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees the dam as an existential threat.

Sudan, also downstream, fears its own dams will be compromised if Ethiopia proceeds with filling the GERD before a deal is reached.



Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
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Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)

A surge in deadly violence has gripped the quiet northern town of al-Dabbah, exposing the growing threat posed by the rampant spread of weapons across Sudan in the absence of effective state control.

At least eight people were killed over just two days, four in tribal clashes and four others in a street fight within the town.

The latest bloodshed comes amid a broader climate of insecurity, where gunfire has become a common soundscape. In nearby Omdurman, social media users circulated graphic footage of a young man shot dead in cold blood after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone.

Reports of killings and injuries from arguments and brawls settled with bullets have flooded social platforms, painting a grim picture of lawlessness. Armed robbery gangs are said to roam freely, terrorizing civilians with no security forces in sight.

As Sudan’s brutal conflict enters its third year, guns have become as commonplace in towns and villages as household items. What was once settled with fists or sticks is now resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly armed themselves, citing the need for self-defense amid state collapse and the disintegration of law enforcement.

Even before the war erupted, estimates suggested around 2.2 million firearms were circulating in Sudan’s conflict zones. Since then, the figure is believed to have ballooned, with unofficial estimates placing the current number at nearly six million, most acquired privately or informally.

In al-Dabbah, local authorities confirmed tribal clashes erupted between members of the Kababish and Hawaweer tribes, leaving four dead and others wounded before security forces intervened. The following day, a quarrel between vehicle drivers escalated into a gunfight, claiming four more lives.

Meanwhile, in the Omdurman district of Al-Hattana, gunmen fatally shot a man while attempting to snatch his phone, another grim scene that social media brought into public view.

Weapons have now flooded Sudan’s markets. Eyewitnesses and former security officials say that under the brief control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, firearms were openly sold on the street like vegetables, with prices starting at just 20,000 Sudanese pounds, roughly $10.

Security experts say this gun chaos is not a sudden phenomenon but the product of years of unchecked proliferation.

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, weapons were distributed to tribal militias to fight opposing groups. With the eruption of nationwide conflict, arms have spread from the traditional battlegrounds of Darfur and Kordofan to cities in Sudan’s north, east, and center.

Legal analyst Moaz Hadra warned of the growing dangers of “random arming,” saying some groups are being trained and armed outside Sudan to destabilize the country. “Why are these groups being trained abroad instead of within Sudan’s military institutions?” he asked when speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Officials Downplay Risk, Citing Self-Defense

Despite mounting violence, Sudanese security and military officials continue to downplay the threat. They argue that most weapons are held by civilians for self-protection against RSF attacks or roaming bandits. “Should a citizen wait helplessly while armed men storm his home?” one commentator asked rhetorically.

Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman al-Toum, a police spokesman, dismissed fears of total lawlessness, saying that gun crackdowns are ongoing and that firearms possession is being treated as an exceptional situation under extraordinary circumstances.

Others, like Brigadier General Saleh Abdullah, insist that once the war ends, collecting the weapons will be “very easy,” noting that most guns were distributed under strict regulations to reserve forces and can be retrieved using serial numbers registered to each piece. “The army has always managed its weapons according to clear protocols,” he said.

Major General Mujahid Ibrahim added that Sudan’s porous borders, particularly in the west, have made it easier for arms to enter the country unchecked, exacerbating the crisis. Still, military officials say weapons loaned to civilians can be recovered thanks to detailed logs and unique identifiers.

Yet, as al-Dabbah and Omdurman reel from fresh bouts of violence, the gap between official reassurance and on-the-ground chaos continues to widen. With Sudan’s civil war showing no sign of abating, the unchecked spread of guns threatens to tear apart what remains of the country’s fragile social fabric.