This will further unsettle countries downstream still trying to agree on the operation of the nearly-completed Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.

The days of Egypt having a casting say on what can be done with the Nile are over.

That political reality does not detract from the fact that Egypt relies on the Nile for more than four fifths of its water needs.

The Grand Renaissance Dam is still the hottest bilateral issue Egypt has with Ethiopia.

If another dam is built, as envisaged between Lakes Kyoga and Albert, it will quickly move into that category.

According to the applicant the $1,4 billion project would increase by 40%  Uganda’s hydro-electrical power generation capacity.

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Yesterday’s talks in Pretoria between Ahmed and Ramaphosa came days after talks on the dam Ethiopia is building across the Nile ended without solution in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian premier Abiy Ahmed says he’s looking for a win-win agreement in which Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt share the Nile.

Disagreement remains about how long Ethiopia will take to fill the Grand Renaissance Dam across the Blue Nile.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he’ll use the chair of the African Union to broker talks about this and other disputes on the continent.

“The must a peace that is grounded in African soil,” he says.”It must be pursued and led by the African Union and this is precisely what we will be aseeki9ng to advocate.”

Ramaphosa says the maxim remains African solutions to African problems

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Ahmed, who is on an official visit,  was a guest at the ANC birthday celebrations in Kimberley yesterday.

In less than a month, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Abiy Ahmed will play host to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his continental counterparts at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

Ramaphosa will assume the chair of the  57-nation grouping at that gathering.

So today’s talks in Pretoria will range far wider than bilateral issues.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister will brief the South African President on continental issues  including the Grand Renaissance Dam being built across the Blue Nile to the concern of Sudan and Egypt downstream.

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On his official visit to South Africa Nobel-Peace-Prize-laureate Ahmed will attend the ANC’s birthday celebration in Kimberley tomorrow and have substantial talks with Ramaphosa in Pretoria on Sunday.

Assuming the African Union  chair next month, President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to be up to speed on the continent’s largest hydro project.

Talks in Addis Ababa broke up this week without agreement between Ethiopia, building the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile, and the countries downstream Sudan and Egypt.

Dependent on the Nile for 90% of its water needs, Egypt wants Ethiopia to take 12 to 21 years to fill the dam.

Ethiopia maintains this should take four to seven years. 

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They’re sitting at the table in Washington for talks mediated by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchen.

Since Ethiopia’s at the root of the Nile Water issue by building the Grand Renaissance Dam, it is hardly surprising that they are sounding less than compromising

The talks are not negotiations, insist the team from Addis Ababa.

The largest hydro electric dam will be completed across the Blue Nile, which provides 80% of the water to the world 12th largest drainage basin.

What has to be decided is how much water Egypt will get after Sudan has taken its share upstream.

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With both sides promising that a solution will negotiated, Egypt’s state-supporting media is saying it might be necessary to go to war over its lifeblood.

Still celebrating  his Nobel Peace Prize, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed talks tough, asserting that no force on earth can stop construction  of  the Grand Renaissance Dame across the  Blue Nile.

The $5billion project is 70% completed and will generate power for most of Ethiopia’s 100 million people.

Egypt is seeking guarantees about the flow of water necessary for its very survival.

As negotiations bog down, President AbdelFattah El Sisi’s supporters say he might need to use force to underline Egypt’s downstream needs.

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The exact composition of a sovereign authority with a civilian majority will be agreed and signed today.

The agreement comes a day after security forces are accused of firing live rounds at protestors killing at least five. An army major has also been shot.

The Military council that deposed President Omar Al Bashir last month denies the shooting and blames what it calls infiltrators trying to scuttle any peace deal.

Military spokesman General Yasser Al Atta says the first six months of the transition period will be spent securing peace deals with rebels in conflict zones including Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan,

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Several members of his 30-year regime are also being in the prison on the banks of the Blue Nile where they jailed thousands of political prisoners.

Sudan’s transitional military council says moving Omar Al Bashir from the presidential palace to Kobar prison is part of its crackdown on corruption.

This is part of the demands by the pro-democracy activists led by the Sudan Professionals Association.

The military rulers have agreed to this,  but still refuse the call by the protestors  to hand over power to a civilian administration of 13 ministers and a 120-member parliament.

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He’s refusing to budge but promises to provide citizens with a dignified life.

The governments of the United States, Britain, Canada and Norway say they’ve credible evidence that Sudanese forces are using live ammunition against demonstrators.

At least 22 people have died  in a week of protests.

The two major oppositions parties – Umaa  and the Democratic Unionists – joined by independent and professional unions, say they’ll one again march on the presidential palace on the banks of the Blue Nile in Khartoum today.

Police used water cannon and batons yesterday to keep them at bay.

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