Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam's fourth round of filling complete

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 Sep 2023 13:25

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pledges to continue working on the dam until the end despite all challenges and difficulties.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and high-level government officials at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam during the fourth and final filling in Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia on September 10, 2023. (Social Media)

The fourth round of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been completed according to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Ahmed announced via his account on X that "it is with great joy that I announce the successful completion of the fourth and final filling of the Renaissance Dam."

የሕዳሴው ግድብን አራተኛና የመጨረሻ ሙሌት በተሳካ ሁኔታ መጠናቀቁን ሳበሥር በታላቅ ደስታ ነው። ኢትዮጵያውያን ተባብረን በመሥራታችን ፈጣሪ ረድቶናል። በገንዘባቸው፣ በዕውቀታቸው፣ በጉልበታቸውና በጸሎታቸው በሥራው ውስጥ የተሳተፋችሁ ሁሉ… pic.twitter.com/Z6MISpmFIQ
— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) September 10, 2023

The Prime Minister pledged that despite all challenges as well as internal and external pressures Ethiopia "will continue to support the dam until the end."

Significantly, 62 million people are impacted by Ethiopia's water crisis, and the dam, while it has international repercussions that must be taken into consideration, has become a key aspect of the suggested solution for multiple countries.

Earlier in August, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia resumed negotiations on the GERD in Cairo, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

Before that, in mid-July, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Ahmed agreed to resume negotiations on the GERD and to make every effort to reach a deal within four months.

"Negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) resumed this Sunday morning in Cairo. Delegations from Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Sudan participated in a new round of talks," the ministry said in a statement.

During the negotiations, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, emphasized the importance of reaching a fair and equitable agreement on the rules for filling and operating the dam, one that would benefit all three countries.

"He reiterated Egypt's belief that there are several technical and legal solutions available that can meet the needs and interests of all three countries, ultimately facilitating the necessary balanced agreement," stated the ministry.

It is worth noting that Ethiopia initiated the construction of the GERD in 2012. The dam is expected to generate a significant amount of hydroelectric power but has sparked controversy due to concerns about its potential impact on water availability in Sudan and Egypt. Despite more than a dozen consultations between the three countries aimed at addressing these concerns, a comprehensive agreement has yet to be reached.