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REUTERS
The Renaissance Dam project aims to become the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa after construction is complete
Senior Ethiopian officials have announced that their country will begin filling the “Dam of the Renaissance” next July, regardless of whether an agreement is reached with Egypt.
Reports indicate that three-quarters of the dam construction work has been completed, which Egypt, an estuary country, fears will severely reduce its share of the water supply.
Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan were unable to reach an agreement on the fill speed of the dam, despite several rounds of talks, as Addis Ababa wants to generate hydropower as soon as possible to help it develop the country.
Ethiopian government media reported that senior officials, led by Prime Minister Abi Ahmed, are discussing a report presented by the Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Selshi Bekele, on the progress made in the construction of the Great Dam of the Renaissance, with the participation of other officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mukunin, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guido Andaragchio, Chief of Staff of the Army, General Adam Mohamed.
The performance report, presented by Selci, indicated that the civil engineering portion of the dam was 87 percent complete, while overall progress in dam construction was 73 percent.
The report indicated the completion of the preparations for the start of the first stage of filling the dam, starting in July 2020.
Selshi was also reported to have said that Ethiopia was preparing a report to respond to Egypt’s complaint to the UN Security Council.
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Egypt fears project will reduce participation in river water
The Sudanese government said on Tuesday it had rejected an Ethiopian proposal to sign a partial agreement that would allow the Renaissance dam to be filled in July.
The Ministry of Irrigation and Natural Resources in Sudan said that there are technical and legal aspects that must be discussed before signing any agreement, noting that the agreement must include a mechanism for coordination and data exchange, and to guarantee the safety of the dam in addition to the expected social and environmental impacts of the dam.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed proposed to his Sudanese counterpart Abdullah Hamdouk by phone to sign a partial agreement on the initial filling of the dam.
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The ministry statement said Hamdok rejected the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s proposal and asked him to resume trilateral negotiations immediately.
Ethiopia had refused to sign a draft Washington-sponsored agreement on the dam it is building on its soil.
She said she needed more time to study the final draft of the agreement, while Egypt signed the initials.
After refusing to complete participation in the Washington talks in February, the United States warned Ethiopia that moving ahead with the construction and filling of the dam should not occur without the agreement of all parties.
The Renaissance Dam project aims to become the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa after the completion of construction work, and will supply Ethiopia and some neighboring countries with large amounts of electricity.
Egypt fears that the project will pose an “existential threat” to him since construction of the project began in 2011, as Egypt relies on the Nile for almost 90 percent of its water needs. Cairo fears the project will lead to a decrease in its share of the river’s water.
The construction of the dam is feared to lead to Ethiopian control of the longest river in Africa, while Egypt wants to fill the dam for a longer period so that the level of the river does not drop suddenly.
The United States stepped in to assist in the negotiations in 2019, and previously issued a statement stating that a deal had been reached, and urged Ethiopia to formally adhere to it.
