Egypt PM visits Sudan to ‘improve co-operation’

KHARTOUM: Egypt’s prime minister arrived in Sudan on Saturday on a visit aiming to “improve co-operation” between the two neighbours, officials said, amid tensions over Ethiopia’s Nile dam.

It is Mostafa Madbouli’s first official visit to Sudan since the formation of a transitional government in Khartoum in 2019.

“The aim of this visit is to improve cooperation between the two countries in various fields,” the office of Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said in a statement.

Madbouli’s delegation includes Egypt’s ministers of water and irrigation, electricity, health, and trade and industry.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.

Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat to vital water supplies, while Ethiopia considers it crucial for its electrification and development.

Talks between the three countries were suspended last week ater Addis Ababa insisted on linking them to renegotiating a deal on sharing the waters of the Blue Nile.

Sudan on Monday said negotiations had been postponed for a week.

During his visit, Madbouli is also expected to meet General Abdel Fatah Al Burhan, head of Sudan’s ruling sovereign council, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, council deputy chief and military general.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis called for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, urging them not to let a dispute over a dam on the Nile lead to conflict.

“I invite all parties involved to continue on the path of dialogue so that the eternal river will continue to be a source of life, which unites and does not divide, which nurtures friendship, prosperity and fraternity and not enmity, misunderstanding and conflict,” the pontiff said.

He was giving his Angelus message for Assumption Day, the most important Catholic feast dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Egypt, which fears the dam project could lead to water shortages upstream, has threatened to withdraw from the latest round of discussions. Sudan is concerned about the dam’s safety.

South Africa, which holds the presidency of the African Union and is mediating negotiations, has urged the countries to “remain involved” in the talks.