Sudan supports Ethiopia renaissance dam

Sudanese President Omar al- Bashir on Wednesday said Sudan supports the constriction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam because it benefits the entire region. "Our support for the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was because we are convinced that it achieves many benefits for the region," said al-Bashir when addressing the inauguration ceremony of the electric line linking Sudan and Ethiopia in Geddarif State in eastern Sudan. "We support the stance of the International Panel of Experts on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and we also support the stance of our brothers in Egypt regarding the construction of the dam," he noted. Al-Bashir further underscored the strong ties between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, saying "we are one people even if the colonialism attempted to separate us through borders. We are working now to remove those imaginary borders." He announced that Sudan and Ethiopia have established a joint free zone on their common border, saying "it will be a joint free zone covering the Sudanese city of Qalabat and the Ethiopian city of Al-Matama, and will be run by a joint administration." Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, for his part, said that the electric inter-connection and the cooperation between the two countries represent only a step on the path of bilateral cooperation. "What Ethiopia and Sudan have achieved could be a model for the whole region and beyond," he noted.