Ethiopia says construction of controversial Grand Renaissance Dam 'progressing as intended'
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Ethiopia says the construction of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile is "progressing as planned" despite the project creating a diplomatic rift with Sudan and Egypt which share the waters of the river.
The Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) said on Sunday that the Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Sileshi Bekele, made the comment after leading a delegation to inspect work on the dam.
The state-run news agency said the delegation held discussions with contractors, consultants, board members and workers at the site of the dam.
"During the visit, the delegation observed that the construction of the dam is being carried out as planned and the construction status is also well underway," ENA reported.
Sileshi also said Ethiopians at home and abroad have given their support for the construction of the dam.
Ethiopia has said the dam is essential for its development, while Egypt and Sudan worry about access to vital water supplies from the Nile.
Ethiopia has angered Sudan and Egypt for saying that it will go ahead with the second filling of the dam during the raining season in the middle of the year.
Two virtual Tripartite Ministerial meetings of the three countries last month called by the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and current chair of AU Bureau to agree rules and guidelines for filling and annual operation of the dam failed to break the deadlock.
Sudan said after the second virtual meeting that it had "reservation" over participation in the second meeting. It said it requested to hold a bilateral meeting with the African Union (AU) experts and observers on the same day, but did not receive a response. Instead, it received an invitation to resume the direct tripartite negotiations.
Ethiopia on its part voiced "positive outlook" of the draft document presented by the experts assigned by the Chairperson of the African Union and expressed its willingness to use it as a single working document for the negotiation.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most of the issues on the first filling and annual operation of the GERD have been agreed on.
The main difference lies on the co-relation between the GERD Guidelines and Rules and the future water development projects on the Abay Basin, it said.
Ethiopia has said it will not agree to a GERD deal that will in any way restrict its right to use the Nile waters.
Tensions among the three countries over the dam began to rise after Ethiopia announced last year that it had started filling the reservoir.
According to a brief by the European Parliament, successive negotiation rounds between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt about the filling and operation of the GERD have ended in stalemate.
This new dam, built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile (the Nile's main tributary), will bring into operation Africa's largest hydropower plant.
It is expected to secure access to electricity for the majority of Ethiopians, to foster economic development and to provide revenues from the sale of surplus electricity abroad.
For its part, Sudan expects the new dam will not only help regulate the flow of the Nile and prevent devastating floods but also provide access to cheap energy. However, it fears the new dam will hinder the yield of its own dam – Roseires – situated within a short distance downstream.
Egypt too is worried about the potential impact of the new dam on its own Aswan High Dam, and that it will give Ethiopia control over the flow of the Nile and reduce the fresh water available for Egyptians.
-0- PANA MA 1Feb2021
