Ethiopia says will start filling Grand Renaissance Dam within two weeks

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) -  Ethiopia is set to start filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) within the next two weeks, during which the remaining construction work will continue, according to the Office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The official Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) on Saturday quoted a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office saying “it is in this period that the three countries [Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan] have agreed to reach a final agreement on few pending matters.

An Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the African Union Assembly was held virtually on Friday on the ongoing negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt with regard to the first filling and annual operation of the GERD.

The meeting was convened by South African President and African Union Chair, Cyril Ramaphosa, with the participation of heads of state of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and members of the Assembly Bureau.

The leaders underscored that the Nile and the GERD are African issues that must be given African solutions. The heads of State of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt provided a statement on the status of the negotiations and the meeting set directions on the way forward.

Accordingly, the three countries have agreed to conclude the negotiation and try to reach an agreement within the next two weeks.

The meeting also resolved to notify the United Nations Security Council that the African Union seized the matter. It also instructed the AU and members of the Bureau to provide technical support for the negotiations and urged Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to cease unnecessary media escalation, the statement said.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on his part wrote on his Facebook: “ I appreciate Chair of the AU, President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his leadership in facilitating these high-level talks of continental significance. Gratitude also to AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki. Our continental organization, with a Pan-African spirit, is the right space to dialogue on issues that are of value to Africa.”

The GERD offers all stakeholders the opportunity for unprecedented economic growth and mutual development, he added.

The Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the AU Assembly held on Friday was  attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok of Sudan, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, AU Chairperson and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and President Felix Tshisekedi of DR Congo.

-0- PANA AR 27June2020