![A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on 26 December 2019. - The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a 145-metre-high, 1.8-kilometre-long concrete colossus is set to become the largest hydropower plant in Africa. Across Ethiopia, poor farmers and rich businessmen alike eagerly await the more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity officials say it will ultimately provide. Yet as thousands of workers toil day and night to finish the project, Ethiopian negotiators remain locked in talks over how the dam will affect downstream neighbours, principally Egypt. [EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GettyImages-1192325323.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Sudan’s Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasser Abbas said that the memorandum submitted by his country to the United Nations Security Council does not constitute an escalation of the situation related to the dam that Ethiopia is constructing on the River Nile.
Nor does the memorandum signify a bias by Khartoum toward any of the sides concerned with the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Abbas added.
Sudan’s neighbour to the north, Egypt, has been expressing concerns that Ethiopia’s dam will severely reduce its water supplies. Addis Ababa says the dam was not intended to harm Egypt’s interests but has been built to generate electricity.
The Sudanese minister noted that Sudan’s submission of the memorandum is meant to reassert his country’s “inherent right” to weigh in on this critical issue.
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He added that both Egypt and Ethiopia submitted similar letters to the Security Council in May.
In the memorandum, sent to the Security Council on Tuesday, Sudan expressed its keenness on the resumption of trilateral talks with Egypt and Ethiopia “in good faith” and with the aim of reaching “a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement”.