The Sudanese army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Mohamed Othman, arrived in Cairo on a surprise visit that was not announced in advance. His visit comes amid the escalation of the Renaissance Dam crisis and threats issued by Cairo and Khartoum that all options are open if Ethiopia does not comply with their demands. No statement was issued from the Egyptian and Sudanese sides about Othman’s visit and his programme.

In recent weeks, Egypt and Sudan conducted more than one joint military maneuver with Egyptian army leaders in Sudan. The military maneuvers come amid the escalation of the Renaissance Dam crisis. With Ethiopia’s insistence on implementing the second filling of the Renaissance Dam next July, Egypt and Sudan have threatened more than once that all options are open, including military ones.

On Monday, Sudanese Foreign Minister Maryam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi said in a statement that Ethiopia is threatening its national security with its second planned filling of the Renaissance Dam in July.

The statement accused Addis Ababa of attacking the foundations of good neighbourliness and threatening the lives of 20 million Sudanese if the second filling of the dam is implemented. During a meeting with the African Union ambassadors in Khartoum, Maryam called for a summit of African heads of state and government to reach an agreement on the dam.

Last Sunday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed that the second filling of the Renaissance Dam would occur on time during the rainy period in July and August.