Ethiopia to launch fourth filling of controversial dam

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AFP):

Ethiopia is preparing to launch the fourth filling of its mega-dam reservoir on the Blue Nile, the country’s deputy prime minister has announced, despite opposition from its downstream neighbour Egypt.

The massive $4.2 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been at the centre of a regional dispute ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011.

Egypt and Sudan have asked Addis Ababa to stop filling the reservoir.

“The GERD is now approaching its fourth filling. The last three fillings have not affected lower riparian states. Likewise, the rest of the fillings will not be any different,” said Demeke Mekonnen, who also serves as foreign minister.

“The project is near completion, withstanding the rhetoric of some actors that seek to monopolize the use of the shared African river,” he said.

Khartoum and Cairo have previously cited it as a threat because of their dependence on Nile waters, while Ethiopia deems it essential for its electrification and development.

While Egypt, which depends on the Nile for around 97 percent of its irrigation needs, insists that the dam poses an “existential” threat, Khartoum’s position has fluctuated.