Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday said the second filling of its disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) would be conducted in the months of July and August, a step that would not be welcomed by Egypt and Sudan, reported Anadolu Agency.
“Ethiopia, in developing Abbay River for its needs, has no intention of causing harm to lower riparian countries,” the Ethiopian Prime Minister wrote in a Twitter post. “Ahead of the 2nd filling, Ethiopia is releasing more water from last year’s storage through newly completed outlets and sharing information. The next filling takes place only during heavy rainfall months of July/August, ensuring benefits in reducing floods in Sudan.”
The decade-long dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has intensified since the collapse of Kinshasa talks earlier this month. Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally binding agreement on filling and operating the GERD, while Ethiopia is trying to evade a binding agreement.
Various rounds of negotiation talks, including the latest round in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital of Kinshasa, have failed to reach an agreement and dissuade Ethiopia from moving forward with the GERD’s second filling.
The Ethiopian government has rejected all proposals and alternatives put forward by Egypt and Sudan to develop the negotiation process, including the one that called for the formation of an international quartet led by Congo, which heads the African Union, to mediate between the three countries.
Egypt and Sudan have blamed Addis Ababa’s lack of political will to agree to any legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the GERD for the failure of talks.
Egypt has voiced fears that the GERD would negatively impact the country’s water supply. Ethiopia, on the other hand, has stressed the importance of the project to bolster its economy.
