Ethiopia continues its work about the Renaissance Dam in clear defiance of Egypt’s warnings

Ethiopia and despite the Egypt’s alerting, is rapidly advancing in the construction the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. The warning requires an obligatory deal on the rules of filling and operating the dam to avoid an expected deficit in its water part.

According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water, Energy and Irrigation, the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has reached 78.3 percent, with an increase of 74 percent in June 2020.

On Sunday, Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy, Sileshi Bekele, stated in a press briefing that the performance reached during the past six months is the fastest since the start of the building in 2011.

Indeed, Authorities began filling the reservoir on July 21, 2020. But, the achievement of the first filling phase before reaching a deal with Egypt and Sudan pressed both countries.

Bekele also said that the dam is expected to hold 13.5 billion cubic meters of water in the next rainy season, adding that of the total 13 power generating turbines, two would also start production during the same period.

The two countries, Cairo and Khartoum, affirm the necessity to reach a binding and comprehensive deal that ensures the rights and interests of the three countries, and comprises a mechanism for settling conflicts on filling and operation of the dam. They fear the potential negative impact of GERD on the flow of their annual part of the Nile’s 55.5 billion cubic meters of water.

Otherwise, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi affirmed in television statements on Saturday that his country is fighting in the negotiations to protect the Egyptian people’s rights, adding that Patience will bring the desired results.

In fact, the African Union (AU) has been supporting the weakened discussions between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum since July 2020, although the intervention of international actors such as the United States and the European Union with observers. Egypt wishes that the new AU leadership would push forward the stalled discussions.

Al-Sissi also affirmed that his country’s interest to resolve the matter via serious negotiations to enhance regional security, stability and development.

Saturday indicated the official start of the year-long AU chairmanship of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who is substituting Cyril Ramaphosa, and last week, he promised to resume the GERD negotiations under the AU’s umbrella immediately, and expressed confidence that peaceful discussions would lead to consensual outcomes.