Ethiopia’s Abiy on fist go to to Sudan since border clashes

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed visited Sudan on Thursday for the primary time since border clashes between the neighbours, amid tensions heightened by the filling of a large hydropower dam.

Abiy and Sudan’s leaders mentioned Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a Sudanese assertion mentioned, a undertaking on the Blue Nile that has alarmed the downriver international locations of Sudan and Egypt who worry it may threaten their water provide.

Additionally they mentioned clashes that flared in late 2020 between the international locations within the fertile al-Fashaqa border area, based on the assertion from Sudan’s sovereign council.

“With reference to the border between the 2 international locations, [Burhan] confirmed that technical mechanisms and dialogue are the idea for this situation,” the assertion mentioned.

Abiy “confirmed that the Renaissance Dam is not going to trigger any hurt to Sudan however could have advantages for it by way of electrical energy,” the assertion mentioned.

There was no instant assertion on the assembly from the Ethiopian delegation.

Ahmed met Sudan’s Sovereign Council head Basic Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in addition to Basic Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and different Sudanese political leaders, the assertion learn.

In 2019, Ethiopia’s chief performed a key position in reaching an settlement between Sudan’s army and civilian protest teams following the ouster of former chief Omar al-Bashir.

Sudan has performed host to tens of 1000’s of refugees who crossed the border after the eruption of preventing in Ethiopia’s north in late 2020.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, writing by Nafisa Eltahir)