Addis Ababa says any Nile water allocation agreement requires bringing all Nile Basin countries to the negotiating table: Ethiopia will not sign any agreement with Egypt and Sudan that would enshrine specific water quotas for downstream countries without bringing all 11 Nile Basin countries into the discussion for a comprehensive agreement, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Dina Mufti said at a press briefing, according to Al Shorouk. Mufti also slammed the US and World Bank’s “attempts to pressure Ethiopia into signing [a] lopsided agreement,” according to the Ethiopian Herald (pdf). Ethiopia also accused Egypt of not capitalizing on alternative water sources, including groundwater and sea water. Egypt and Sudan walked away from the last round of GERD negotiations after Ethiopia’s latest proposal dodged mention of a binding dispute resolution mechanism after it was agreed upon by the three countries.

Shoukry and Pompeo discuss Libyan ceasefire: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed on Thursday the need to achieve a ceasefire in Libya through United Nations-brokered talks, according to a US Embassy statement.