The Sudanese Prime Minister has asked an international “quartet” to take the lead in the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the filling of the Renaissance dam. The second phase of filling the reservoir is to begin next summer. This appeal is above all a sign of the closer bond that now unites Khartoum and Cairo towards their opponent.
It was by letter that Abdallah Hamdok made his official request. Sudan, he said in his letter dated March 13, calls for the establishment of a “square mediation mechanism in the negotiation process” with Ethiopia. To do this, he calls on the African Union, first through the rotating Congolese Presidency, then the United Nations, the European Union and the United States.
In short, his idea is to make observers of the ongoing discussions full brokers. But above all, the letter says to “change the approach” and “take advantage of the experience” from the previous talks, all of which failed.
This formal request does not come by chance. Last week, the Sudanese prime minister was in Cairo, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. And where the two men have publicly stated this idea and shown that they are now on the same line.
But Ethiopia is not in favor: it has already said so. Currently have bad relationship with the EU and the US due to the war in Tigray, Addis Ababa considers that the “existing mechanisms” are quite adequate, in particular the ongoing discussions via the Democratic Republic of Congo, which presides over the African Union but has so far been “nothing”. given.
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