Sudan rejects Ethiopian proposal on filling, operation of Nile dam

KHARTOUM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Tuesday announced its rejection of an Ethiopian proposal regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), said Sudan's Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry in a statement.

Sudan rejected the Ethiopian proposal as it stipulates that an agreement should only be about the first phase of the filling of the GERD, while it links the agreement with reaching a comprehensive treaty regarding the Blue Nile water, the statement said.

According to the statement, Sudan regarded the proposal as a change in Ethiopia's position, which threatens the continuation of the tripartite talks between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.

The precondition for Sudan's participation in the Nile dam talks is that an agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD should not be linked with reaching a treaty on the Blue Nile water, it said.

Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia on Monday resumed a new round of talks on the filling and operation of the GERD.