Egypt Informs Ethiopia of Its Firm Rejection of the Second Filling of the Renaissance Dam

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty stated on Monday that he received an official letter from his Ethiopian counterpart indicating that Ethiopia has begun the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The Egyptian minister, in an official statement, informed his Ethiopian counterpart in a letter that "Egypt firmly rejects this unilateral action, which constitutes a clear and serious violation of the Declaration of Principles Agreement... and will create a dangerous situation threatening security and peace at both the regional and international levels." Ethiopia claims that the dam, built on the Blue Nile, is essential for its economic development and for providing electricity to its people. Egypt views the dam as a serious threat to its share of Nile waters, on which it almost entirely depends. Sudan, also a downstream country, has expressed concern over the structural safety of the dam and its impact on Sudanese dams and water stations. Egyptian irrigation ministry spokesman Mohamed Ghanem told a local television channel that the amount of accumulated water will depend on the amount of seasonal rainfall that has fallen in Ethiopia. He added, "The situation is not yet clear, and there will be no immediate effects on the Nile River... we have a month or a month and a half." Egypt and Sudan are on a diplomatic campaign to reach a legally binding agreement on the dam's operation, but negotiations have repeatedly stalled. The Egyptian-Sudanese diplomatic campaign intensified before the first filling of the dam during last summer's rains in Ethiopia and has ramped up again in recent weeks ahead of the second filling. The United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss the issue on Thursday. The Egyptian statement noted that Abdel Aty has informed the council of the recent development regarding the commencement of the dam's filling for the second year. Ethiopia claims that it is finally exercising its rights to Nile waters that have long been controlled by its downstream neighbors. Its ambassador in Khartoum stated on Sunday that Egypt and Sudan were already aware of the details of the first three years of filling the dam and that the issue should not be brought before the Security Council as it does not pertain to peace and security.