Egypt has announced it is pulling out of talks with Ethiopia over the modalities for filling a grand dam being built on the River Nile, APA learnt on Wednesday.
The talks restarted on Monday but appear stuck over the schedule for filling what would be Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam.
Sudan has also said it would quit the talks since Ethiopia is refusing to back down over its proposal to rework a deal over the sharing of the Blue Nile’s water.
According to Sudan’s Water and Irrigation Minister, Yasser Abbas, Ethiopia has dispatched a letter insisting on this proposal which Khartoum will not accept.
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have been holding talks over the future of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) since 2011 but progress to reach a comprehensive deal remains elusive.
There are fears in Egypt and to some lesser extent Sudan that the Gerd dam could compromise their share of water from the Nile which is a lifeline for millions of people in the two downstream countries.
Talks have been stuck over the schedule to fill the dam.
Ethiopia recently celebrated the first phase of filling the dam, leaving Egyptians enraged.
WN/as/APA