Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan reach preliminary deal on River Nile dam

Officials from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have reached a preliminary agreement that should help clear the way for the filling and operation of a five billion US dollar dam project on the Nile River.

The three countries wrapped up three days of talks in Washington on Wednesday with the US treasury secretary and World Bank president.

The discussions involved the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The dam is around 70% complete and promises to provide much needed electricity for Ethiopia’s 70 million people.

However, Egyptian officials are concerned that filling the reservoir behind the dam could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt.