Sudan stresses importance of reaching Nile dam deal

KHARTOUM, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's National Security and Defence Council on Thursday reiterated the importance of reaching a comprehensive and binding deal regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The council, chaired by Chairman of the Sovereign Council Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, held a meeting at the presidential palace on Thursday, according to a statement released afterward.

The council stressed in the statement that the negotiation under the African Union framework is Sudan's option and will be carried out in a manner that allows reaching solutions that fulfil the demands of all three parties -- Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.

It also noted that "a comprehensive and binding agreement must be reached to lessen the risks on Al-Rusaires Dam together with the environmental and social consequences of the GERD operation on over 20 million Sudanese citizens."

The statement also rejected the linking of the agreement on filling and operation of the GERD with water-sharing quotas, calling such a move "unacceptable."

Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia have been negotiating under the African Union over technical and legal issues relating to the filling and operation of the GERD.

Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the project to push the country's development forward.

Meanwhile, Egypt and Sudan -- downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the river for its fresh water -- are concerned that the dam might affect their water resources.

[ Editor: WPY ]