This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, the Egyptian presidency announced that Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan had reached a comprehensive deal on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which includes delaying the filling of the dam.
The agreement comes after an emergency African Union Executive Council virtual session chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where the three countries agreed to send a letter to the UN Security Council to consider the deal in its session discussing the GERD issue on June 29, 2020.
According to the Egyptian presidency, the deal includes a legally binding final agreement that prevents any unilateral moves, including the filling of the dam. Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok confirmed the agreement, stating that the dam filling will be delayed until an agreement is reached.
Technical committees from the three countries will work to hammer out a conclusive deal within two weeks, as suggested by Ethiopia. Sudan's Prime Minister Hamdok emphasized the importance of finding a solution, citing the country's benefits and risks associated with the dam.
The agreement marks a minor breakthrough in the dispute between the three countries, which has been running high since recent ministerial talks failed to produce a deal on the filling and operation of the GERD.
