The United Nations has urged Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to resume talks to resolve the dispute over the Nile da, “within a reasonable time frame”.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday issued a statement saying the three nations should begin the negotiations at the invitation of the African Union’s chairperson “to finalise expeditiously the text of mutually acceptable and binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam”.
The 15-member Security Council also invited observers acceptable to the three countries to support the process.
The dam project on the Blue Nile has caused tension between Ethiopia and its neighbours, with Egypt and Sudan worried about the droughts and water security.
According to Egypt, this is an existential issue as it relies almost entirely on the river for its water supply.
Ethiopia, however, sees the dam as a way to bring electricity to millions of its citizens.
The dam in near completion and due to start generating an initial 750 megawatts of electricity in a month.
It is expected to generate eight times that amount when it is projected to be complete in 2013.
