TALKS over the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ended on Monday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa without an agreement.

The mega dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River’s main tributary has been a major source of contention between the east African nation and neighbours Sudan and Egypt since the construction of the $4.6 billion (£3.7bn) project began in 2011.

Ethiopia’s chief negotiator Seleshi Bekele said that the countries had “exchanged constructive ideas on various outstanding issues” and that his country remains committed to continuing the negotiations.

But Egypt’s water ministry blamed Ethiopia for the failure to make a breakthrough in the talks.

It said that Addis Ababa was “opposed to any compromise” and said an agreement was needed to protect Egypt’s water security and national interests.

Ethiopia sees the dam as essential to its development but Egypt fears that it will restrict its share of the Nile’s water, critical for its more than 100 million people.

About 85 per cent of the river’s flow originates from the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, but Egypt has received the lion’s share of the Nile’s waters under decades-old agreements dating back to the British colonial era.

Sudan, also downstream from the Blue Nile where the dam is located, wants a deal to regulate the amount of water Ethiopia will release in the event of a major drought.

Earlier this month, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the final phase in filling the dam’s reservoir had been completed.

Speaking at the United Nations general assembly on Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that his country is already facing serious water scarcity issues and criticised Ethiopia for having embarked on the dam’s construction without consulting fellow Nile states.

On Monday, Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said Egypt and Sudan had “legitimate” concerns but that its own rights needed to be protected.