· According to Ethiopian state media, the country has successfully completed the second phase of filling the controversial mega-dam project on the Nile, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) launched in 2011.
· The move has angered Egypt and Sudan who have been opposing the project over concerns on water shortages and safety in Egypt and Sudan, which also depend on the Nile’s waters.
According to Ethiopian state media , the country has successfully completed the second phase of filling the controversial mega-dam project on the Nile, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) launched in 2011. The move has angered Egypt and Sudan who have been opposing the project over concerns about water shortages and safety in Egypt and Sudan, which also depends on the Nile’s waters. The African Union (AU) led Discussions could not arrive at a tripartite agreement among the three countries on the filling of the dam and the modalities of operation of water reservoirs. Egypt and Sudan had asked Addis Ababa to suspend the filling of the dam pending an agreement. There are concerns that tensions could increase among the three countries following the most recent announcement.
The government of Ethiopia regards GERD, a $4bn hydropower project, crucial to its economic development and to provide power. In Ethiopia, 65 million people are currently not connected to the power grid.
With the second filling, it is claimed that there is now enough water to put into operation the first two turbines of the dam.
