Sudan welcomes Trump’s mediation in Nile water standoff
January 17, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Sovereign Council leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Saturday the government welcomed an initiative by U.S. President Donald Trump to mediate the long-standing dispute over the sharing of Nile River waters.
The announcement follows a statement by Trump on Friday, in which he told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi he was prepared to act as a mediator in the standoff between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In a message to Sisi posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed readiness to resume U.S. mediation to find a “radical and permanent” solution to Nile water distribution. “I want to help you reach a result that ensures the water needs of Egypt, the Republic of Sudan, and Ethiopia in the long term,” he added.
“The government of Sudan welcomes and supports President Trump’s initiative and mediation on the Nile waters to find sustainable and satisfactory solutions that preserve the rights of all,” Burhan said in a post on the social media platform X. He added that a resolution would help sustain regional security and stability.
Ethiopia has previously accused Egypt of ignoring the rights of other nations and maintains that disputes can only be resolved through direct dialogue. Addis Ababa insists that water security must be built on “equitable and reasonable” use of the river among all basin countries.
Egypt and Sudan have consistently demanded a legally binding tripartite agreement regarding the filling and operation of the dam, which Ethiopia began constructing in 2011.
The dam, located approximately 17 km (10 miles) from the Sudanese border with a storage capacity of about 74 billion cubic metres, has triggered years of diplomatic friction. Multiple rounds of international mediation have failed to bridge the gap between the three nations.
In September, Ethiopia officially inaugurated the dam’s operations, moving forward with the project despite objections from Cairo and Khartoum.