CAIRO, 17 April, 2021 (TON): As the mega dam dispute is going nowhere, Sudan's prime minister has invited his Egyptian and Ethiopian counterparts for a closed meeting discussion.

It comes after talks hosted by the African Union on Tuesday, between Cairo and Adis Ababa failed to reach a binding agreement over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the filling of its vast reservoir.

Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti, "The case of the water issue cannot be solved through this. It will not be solved through war. At war, you don't know the setting and the final destination. It is harmful."

"We have to solve this in a modern way, through discussion, and a diplomatic manner, and this is a very thoughtful and useful way of thinking," he added.

The statement said the planned summit will be held by videoconference.

However, ever since construction began in 2011, Egypt has regarded the dam as an existential threat to its water supplies, while Sudan fears its own dams would be harmed if Ethiopia fills the reservoir without a deal.

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