US President Donald Trump and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Friday called for an agreement to be reached over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissnce Dam (GERD) dispute with Ethiopia and Egypt.

 

“We hope to reach an amicable solution soon,” Hamdok said, speaking by phone with Trump following Sudan and Israel’s announcement to normalize ties.

 

Trump held the call in front of reporters at the White House.

 

"It's a very dangerous situation because Egypt is not going to be able to live that way," the US president told Hamdok.

 

Trump added that Egypt could end up "blowing up the dam."

 

"I said it and I say it loud and clear," they could "blow up that dam," he added. 

 

"And [Egypt] have to do something,” Trump said.

 

Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have been at odds over the filling and operation of the GERD, and Trump on Friday said he had brokered an agreement to resolve the issue but that Ethiopia had broken the pact, forcing Trump to cut funds.

 

"Ethiopia was terrible. We're all set to sign a deal. It was negotiated for five years and longer than that, and they couldn't make the deal and I got the deal done, and then ... they broke the deal, which is not good."

 

"I had a deal done for them and then unfortunately Ethiopia broke the deal, which they should not have done. That was a big mistake, and we've stopped payment to them of a lot of aid because they did it, and they will never see that money unless they adhere to that agreement. But they built a dam which stops water from flowing into the Nile. You can't blame Egypt for being a little bit upset, right?"

 

The United States suspended aid to Ethiopia in September over the filling of its disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without an accord with Egypt and Sudan

 

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly affirmed Egyptian constants regarding a resolution for the GERD dispute, stressing the need to resume tripartite negotiations in order to reach a binding and comprehensive legal agreement between all concerned parties on the rules for filling and operating the dam

 

Trump urged Hamdok to get Ethiopia to agree to accept the deal to resolve the water dispute.

 

“I’m telling Egypt the same thing,” Trump added.