Ethiopia claims disputed GERD dam has reached final fill

Source: Ana E. Cascão/Water Alternatives/Flickr

Construction of the $4bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began in 2011 and Ethiopia sees the project as crucial to powering its economic development.

Egypt and Sudan, however, consider the project a serious threat to their vital water supplies.

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"Congratulations to all on the fourth filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Our national perseverance against all odds has delivered," Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office wrote on the social media platform X on Sunday.

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

With a projected capacity of more than 6GW, Ethiopia sees GERD as the centrepiece of its bid to become Africa's biggest power exporter.

The three countries have been in protracted negotiations over the project.In a sign of a potential breakthrough in July, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Abiy agreed on plans to finalise an agreement between the three countries on the filling of the dam and the rules for its operation.

But on Sunday Egypt's foreign ministry said Ethiopia's step "places a burden on the course of the resumed negotiations, the next round of which ... is hoped will witness a tangible and real breakthrough."