Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed He has praised the “historic” early filling of the massive dam on the Blue Nile River that has fueled tensions with countries downstream Egypt and Sudan.
Addis Ababa had long said that it planned to start filling the dam reservoir this month, in the middle of the rainy season, raising objections from Cairo and Khartoum, who wanted to first reach a trilateral agreement on how the dam would be operated. .
Ethiopia’s announcement Tuesday that it had reached its first-year target to fill the dam came as the three countries were participating in talks overseen by the African Union (AU) to try to resolve the dispute.
“The completion of the first round of filling is a historic moment that shows Ethiopians’ commitment to the rebirth of our country,” Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said in a statement read on state television on Wednesday.
“The fact that we reached this milestone with our own efforts when no one else believed in our capabilities to accomplish such initiatives makes the moment even more historic.”
“We carried out the filling of the dam without causing harm to anyone,” said Abiy.
The Great Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin since Ethiopia made its way in 2011.
Ethiopia said the colossal dam offers a critical opportunity to lift millions of its nearly 110 million citizens out of poverty and become a major energy exporter.
Downstream, Egypt, which depends on the Nile to supply its farmers with fresh water and a booming population of 100 million, says the dam represents an existential threat. Sudan also views the dam as a threat to its water supplies.
After Tuesday’s call with the AU, the leaders of the three countries said they had agreed to continue negotiations, although it was unclear what concrete progress had been made.
In a statement Wednesday morning, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry emphasized “the need to reach a binding legal agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam” that “would include a legally binding instrument to resolve conflicts” .
Ethiopia has resisted a legally binding dispute resolution process. Its officials said the dam would not harm downstream countries.
They have also said that this year’s fill was a natural and inevitable part of construction.
By filling the reservoir with 4.9 billion cubic meters (173 billion cubic feet) of water, Ethiopia is now in a position to test its first two turbines, an important step on the road to energy production.
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