Sudan PM invites Egypt, Ethiopia leaders to direct negotiations over GERD crisis

Sudan PM invites Egypt, Ethiopia leaders to direct negotiations over GERD crisis

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam al-Sadiq announced Friday that Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has invited the leaders of Egypt and Ethiopia to direct negotiations to help resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.

During an interview with Sky News Arabia on Friday evening, Sadiq said that so far, no responses have been received from the Egyptian and Ethiopian sides regarding this invitation.

Sadiq said that Sudan has worked diligently to provide amicable facilities for the GERD issue.

She added that Sudan sent a letter to the secretary general of the UN Security Council several days ago, informing him of the situation and the outcome of the recent Kinshasa negotiations.

The Ethiopian position in the recent Kinshasa negotiations was clearly intransigent, Sadiq said, and involved clear attempts to provoke Egypt and Sudan.

She added that Ethiopia is disregarding its strategic relationship with Sudan and neighboring countries such as Egypt, in return for obtaining political gains for the upcoming elections in June.

Ethiopia is trying to divert attention from its internal problems and unite its people under the GERD project, she explained.

Egypt has announced earlier this month that the latest round of GERD negotiations held in Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo on April 4-5