“Threats” from Egypt and Sudan over the GERD are “futile,” Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesperson said yesterday, accusing the two countries of prolonging negotiations and calling current water-sharing agreements “unacceptable.” Talks between the three countries broke down earlier this month after they were unable to agree on who should mediate a new round of negotiations. Ethiopia has pledged to go ahead with the second filling of the dam this summer, an act President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has called a “red line.” Sudan on Friday said it would sue the Ethiopian government and the Italian company constructing the dam if it went ahead with the filling.

This sentiment was echoed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly yesterday, reiterating that Egypt will not give up a drop of its water. The Egyptian government is exerting “double the effort” to find ways of preserving the country’s water resources via desalination and different agricultural methods.

Sudan FM on Africa tour to talk GERD: Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al Sadiq Al Mahdi is on a tour of African countries beginning with a visit to the DRC to reiterate her country’s support for African Union mediation to resolve the dispute.

IN OTHER DIPLO NEWS- Egypt and US beef up military ties: Egypt and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding to “facilitate reciprocal provision of military logistic support, supplies, and services,” the US embassy in Cairo said in a statement. The agreement will, among other things, “facilitate logistics and US force participation during Bright Star 2021,” a flagship regional military exercise that sees US and Egyptian forces drill with regional partners.