Egypt and Sudan held talks Thursday in Khartoum to coordinate efforts to push for an agreement over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile.
The talks came as Ethiopia's army pledged to secure the construction of the GERD until its completion and to confront any force that might attempt to invade the area.
Official Ethiopian News Agency reported that leaders and members of the 22nd Army Division affirmed that their unit is working to protect the area and the dam’s construction.
The Division’s Deputy Commander Azineh Shimelis said that his forces will provide all necessary protection to the construction project, including its supplies.
Shimelis stressed that another task assigned to the division will confront any forces that attempt to enter the area.
This comes a week after Addis Ababa informed Egypt and Sudan that it started with the dam’s second filling, a move that has been unilaterally rejected by both countries.
Ethiopia began constructing the dam on the Blue Nile in 2011. Around 80 percent of the construction works have been completed so far.
Cairo and Khartoum demand that the three countries reach a legally binding agreement to fill and operate such dams.
Earlier, Egyptian Ambassador to Sudan Hossam Issa met with Member of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen. Shams-Eddin Kabbashi.
The two officials discussed bilateral relations, indicating that the meeting was characterized by transparency and the exchange of views on issues of mutual concern at the bilateral, regional, and international levels.
In a brief statement, Issa said that talks also tackled the GERD crisis and reviewed Egypt’s efforts to support the transitional phase in Sudan and help achieve peace and stability in the country.
