Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok revealed on Monday plans to visit Cairo and Addis Ababa to urge the two parties to resume negotiations over the Renaissance Dam and the remaining important issues.
Hamdok said he spoke with US Secretary of Treasury Steven Terner Mnuchin over the phone and the two discussed the resumption of negotiations between Cairo and Addis Ababa.
The two sides agreed that the Dam issue is very pressing and negotiations should be resumed once the world beats the COVID-19.
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan were expected to sign an agreement in Washington last month following a round of talks facilitated by the US Treasury Department, which stepped in after Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi reached out to US President Donald Trump. However, Ethiopia unexpectedly kipped the meeting.
For its part, Addis Ababa says it cannot sign any international agreement while the country awaits presidential and parliamentary elections that are scheduled for August.
Later, Ethiopia said it was planning to start filling the dam reservoir irrespective of a final deal, a move that could trigger a deep regional crisis.
Egypt is worried Ethiopia will fill the reservoir too quickly, reducing water flow downstream.
Following the stalled negotiations that took place under the auspices of the United States and the World Bank, Cairo and Addis Ababa have sent diplomatic envoys to various countries to drum up support in their row over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
