Speaking when he met visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Khartoum on Thursday, Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations between Sudan and Ethiopia.

Mr Abiy said that the Nile dam would "not harm Sudan's interests but rather will benefit Khartoum in the electricity sector".

On 11 January, Sudanese and Egyptian foreign ministers agreed to "continue consultations" regarding the Ethiopian dam.

Addis Ababa, Khartoum and Egypt have been embroiled in a long dispute over the dam, which Sudan and Cairo fear would reduce their shares of water from the River Nile.