In his first visit to Cairo since the crisis between the two countries over the Renaissance Dam, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received today (Thursday) Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, at the Ittihadiya Palace, within the framework of the Sudan Neighborhood Conference, which aims to raise awareness of the situation in the country.
The two presidents discussed ways to settle the crisis in Sudan, strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Ethiopia, and the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
And the Egyptian presidency announced that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed affirmed their mutual political will to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, politically, economically and culturally, based on the common desire to achieve their common interests and the prosperity of the two brotherly peoples, which also contributes effectively to achieving stability, peace and security. In the region, the ability of the two countries to deal with common challenges. She indicated that the two leaders discussed ways to overcome the current stalemate in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations, and agreed to initiate urgent negotiations to finalize the agreement between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to fill the Renaissance Dam and the rules for its operation, and to make all necessary efforts to finish it within four months. The Egyptian presidency indicated that Ethiopia committed itself during the negotiation period, and during the filling of the dam during the hydrological year 2023-2024, not to cause significant harm to Egypt and Sudan, in order to provide the water needs of both countries.
Observers believe that this meeting could represent a ground for reaching a solution to the contentious issues over the Renaissance Dam between Ethiopia and the downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan), expecting that the Sudan Neighborhood Conference summit will move the stagnant waters and make a breakthrough in the solid wall.
On the other hand, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for containing the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan as soon as possible, stressing the importance of organizing a transitional process.
Abiy Ahmed said in a speech before the summit of Sudan’s neighboring countries: “I hoped that our meeting would be in order to talk about development and not conflict,” adding: “We appreciate the Saudi efforts to mediate in the Sudanese crisis.”
The Ethiopian Prime Minister warned that the Horn of Africa will suffer if the parties to the conflict continue to avoid resolving the Sudanese crisis, expressing his thanks to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for holding a summit to find a solution to the Sudanese crisis.
