The government of Sudan formally requested assistance Monday from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, current African Union chairman, the US and the EU in settling a dispute over a dam on the Nile River. Egypt has expressed support for the proposal.

The dam in question, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is currently under construction in Ethiopia. The government of Ethiopia insists the dam, which would generate hydroelectric power, is essential to its economic development. If completed, it would provide electricity for millions of people. Ethiopia has rejected the request for four-party mediation, and issued its own for tripartite talks.

Both Egypt and Sudan have raised concerns about the flow of water from the dam during droughts. The Nile has provided people in what is now Sudan and Egypt with water for consumption and farming for thousands of years. Currently, Egypt relies primarily on the Nile to provide enough water for both agriculture and its over 100 million people. It also relies on the Nile for power through its own hydropower dams. Sudan has expressed fears about flooding and the operation of its own Nile River dams. Other concerns revolve around the national security of both Egypt and Sudan. When completed, Ethiopia could use the dam as a means of political and economic pressure.

The dispute originally arose in 2011, when Ethiopia began work on the dam. Since then the three countries have been engaged in talks about coordinating operation of the dam to prevent flooding and the function of other dams. Talks broke down in 2020 after Ethiopia began filling the reservoir after legal action attempted by Sudan and Ethiopia failed.

Current projections estimate it will be complete and fully operational in 2023.