Ethiopia inaugurated the "Kald Digu" irrigation development dam project today, Sunday, in the Selti region of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, with a capacity of 8 million cubic kilometers of water and a cost of approximately 29 million dollars.
It is worth noting that Ethiopia inaugurated the "Ajma Shasha" dam north of the capital, Addis Ababa, yesterday, Saturday, with a capacity of 55 million cubic meters. The construction of the project is expected to be completed within two years, and the dam, aimed at irrigation agriculture, has a height of 27 meters and a length of 1,731 meters, with a capacity of 8 million cubic meters of water. Media sources have indicated that upon completion, the dam will be capable of developing 1,800 hectares of land and benefiting more than 2,200 Ethiopian families.
These developments coincide with the resumption of negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, to discuss outstanding contentious points regarding the filling and operating rules, aiming to reach a binding agreement among the three parties. A follow-up six-party meeting for the ministers of foreign affairs and water of the three countries is scheduled, reviewing the outcomes of the recent meeting chaired by South Africa, in its capacity as the current president of the African Union, with the participation of relevant observers and experts from the Commission.
Ethiopia has rejected any agreement regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam that limits its right to utilize the waters of the Nile River. During a meeting held between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan to discuss ways to resume negotiations regarding the operation of the Renaissance Dam, Ethiopia emphasized its rejection of any agreement that would deprive it of its rights to Nile River water.
The statement issued following the meeting, according to media sources, indicated that Egypt firmly rejected the document from the experts appointed by the President of the African Union (South Africa), while Ethiopia considered it positive and agreed to use it as an individual working document for negotiations. Sudan also highlighted its importance for the negotiation process. The meeting commenced via video conference among the ministers of foreign affairs and water from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to resume negotiations concerning the filling and operation of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
For its part, the Egyptian foreign ministry stressed in a statement following the meeting the necessity of reaching a binding agreement before resuming the filling of the Renaissance Dam. The Egyptian foreign ministry stated that the Egyptian side emphasized during the meeting the importance of reaching an agreement as soon as possible regarding the Renaissance Dam, before the onset of the second phase of filling the dam's reservoir, which would achieve the common interests of the three countries while simultaneously safeguarding Egypt’s rights and water interests.
The statement concluded that the meeting resulted in an agreement to hold a round of negotiations between the three countries lasting one week, aiming to discuss the substantive aspects and contentious points in the Renaissance Dam agreement, with the presence of observers participating in the negotiations and experts appointed by the African Union Commission. Previously, Ethiopia confirmed that its goal in building the dam is to generate electricity and establish developmental projects, while Egypt fears that the dam could harm its share of Nile water, which amounts to 55.5 billion cubic meters annually, most of which it receives from the Blue Nile.
