Egypt, Sudan vow to cooperate over Ethiopia's controversial Nile Renaissance Dam

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir met his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Monday, as the two countries look to repair ties that were recently frayed over an upstream Nile Dam being built by Ethiopia.

At a joint press conference, al-Bashir and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed to cooperate in managing the effects of the dam, which Egypt fears will cut into its share of the river.

The Nile provides virtually all of Egypt's freshwater, serving as a lifeline for the country's 100 million people.

Tensions had risen in recent months, when Sudan appeared to take Ethiopia's side in the dam negotiations and revived a longstanding border dispute with Egypt.

Ethiopia has vowed to go ahead with the dam despite Egypt's concerns, saying it is vital for the east African country’s development.

Egypt relies almost totally on the Nile for irrigation and drinking water, and says it has "historic rights" to the river, guaranteed by treaties from 1929 and 1959.

Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile, launched in 2011, is designed to feed a hydroelectric project to produce 6,000 megawatts of power, equal to six nuclear-powered plants.