Egypt protests Ethiopia's Nile dam filling, labels move 'Illegal'

Egypt has voiced its anger after Ethiopia declared the completion of the final filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile river. 

The announcement has rekindled a long-standing dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the hydroelectric dam project, which dates back to its launch in 2011. 

Egypt, which heavily relies on the Nile for its various water needs, said that Ethiopia was disregarding the interests of downstream nations.

However, Ethiopia asserts that the $4.2 billion GERD will not cut the downstream countries' share of Nile water. 

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, announced: "It is with great pleasure that I announce the successful completion of the fourth and final filling of the Renaissance Dam."

Ahmed further admitted that the project had faced "internal and external obstacles" but said "we endured all that".

Ethiopia believes that the GERD will double its electricity production, which is crucial for the nation where nearly half of the 127-million population lacks access to electricity, BBC reported.

It plans on generating more than 6,000 MW at the GERD dam that is situated approximately 30 kilometres from Ethiopia's border with Sudan.

However, ever since its launch, the dam has been a source of contention, primarily due to concerns about its potential impact on the downstream countries, particularly Egypt and Sudan. 

Earlier, Egypt and Sudan called for common rules for the dam's operation to address their fears of water shortages. They have also expressed fear that Ethiopia's energy demands may increase, further exacerbating water shortages.

Negotiations over the GERD have been marred by disputes and were even temporarily halted in 2021. 

While Egypt has expressed its frustration with Ethiopia's unilateral actions, Sudan, which is currently grappling with internal conflict between rival armies, is yet to issue a response to Ethiopia's project completion announcement. 

Egypt's foreign ministry has criticised Ethiopia's reservoir filling. In a statement on Facebook, it said that the "unilateral" filling of the reservoir was "illegal" and a violation of a 2015 declaration of principles signed by the three nations. 

"The declaration of principles stipulates the necessity of the three countries reaching an agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Gerd before commencing the filling process," said Egypt's foreign ministry in its statement.

"Ethiopia's unilateral measures are considered a disregard for the interests and rights of the downstream countries and their water security, as guaranteed by principles of international law."

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.