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.

The post South African and Ethiopian leaders talk in Pretoria today appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

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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