Reopening of negotiations for the Blue Nile dam

A new round of trilateral talks between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia is scheduled to begin again today as the three countries aim to work to solve a host of problems related to the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River, according to Sudanese state media. The 745-foot dam, which Ethiopia will use to generate hydroelectric power, will affect the water downstream of the Nile used by Sudan and Egypt. The Blue Nile meets the White Nile in Khartoum, from where it flows into Egypt and then into the Mediterranean Sea. Since September 2020, floods have inundated Sudan, causing hundreds of thousands to be displaced, disruption of agricultural activities, and famine for millions. Khartoum hopes the dam will help regulate the flow of water, while Cairo is concerned about the amount of water that will flow through its section of the Nile. According to Sudan’s state news service SUNA, Sudan will propose that experts from the African Union take a “bigger role” in the negotiations as the parties seek to agree on the filling and operation of the dam. The latest round of talks in November 2020 did not move toward a deal.