Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt are set to resume talks on Tuesday over the controversial mega-dam across the Blue Nile after a seven-week break.
Africa Union chairman and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement, days after US President Donald Trump suggested that Egypt might blow up the dam.
Ethiopia sees the US as siding with Egypt in the dispute and has summoned US ambassador in Addis Ababa.
A spokesperson at Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Dina Mufti believes Mr Trump’s remarks will not deter the negotiations.
He said the three countries are in talks with the African Union as a negotiator.
Ethiopia sees the $4.6bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the western part of the country as an integral part of its plan to provide electricity for tens of millions of its citizens.
But Egypt and Sudan, who are dependent on the Nile waters, are concerned that it might impact their water supplies.
Despite previous negotiations, the three countries have not managed to arrive at a comprehensive deal.
