African Union summons regional leaders for talks on Nile Dam

By Samuel Gebre and Mohammed Alamin

The African Union summoned regional leaders to discuss an impasse over an Ethiopian hydropower dam on the Nile River.

The virtual talks may be a prelude to the resumption of negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan about how quickly the reservoir is filled, Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas said by phone Monday from Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.

“The meeting will take place within the context of the AU’s efforts to strengthen the negotiations and to infuse new momentum towards the resolution of all the outstanding legal and technical matters,” the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chairman of the African Union, said in an emailed statement.

The African Union will issue a statement either later today or on Wednesday, depending on when the meeting concludes, Ramaphosa’s office said.