Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - The African Mirror

Aug

2020

Sudan and Ethiopia pledge to push for deal on Blue Nile dam

ETHIOPIA’S prime minister and Sudan's leadership have said they would make every effort to reach a deal on a giant hydropower dam on the Blue Nile that has caused a bitter dispute between Addis Ababa and Cairo over water supplies. Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan failed to strike an agreement on the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) before the reservoir behind the dam began being filled in July. But the three countries have returned to talks under African Union mediation. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Khartoum on Tuesday with a high-level delegation to meet Sudanese officials, who…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Pope calls for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over Nile dam

RELIGION

POPE Francis called for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on Saturday, urging them not to let a dispute over a dam on the Nile lead to conflict. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is being built some 15 km (9 miles) from Ethiopia's border with Sudan, has become a major source of discord between the three countries. "I invite all parties involved to continue on the path of dialogue so that the eternal river will continue to be a source of life, which unites and does not divide, which nurtures friendship, prosperity and fraternity and not enmity, misunderstanding and…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Egypt to withdraw from latest dam talks for internal consultations

NEWS

EGYPT said on Tuesday that it has decided to withdraw from the latest round of tripartite negotiations with Ethiopia over its multi-billion dollar dam on the Blue Nile for internal consultations after Addis Ababa proposed new draft of filling guidelines. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is being built about 15 km (9 miles) from the Ethiopian border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, has become a major sticking point between the three countries. Egypt fears the $4 billion project could lead to water shortages upstream, while Sudan is concerned about the dam's safety. The Blue Nile is a tributary…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

The Grand Renaissance Dam: what’s at stake and what could break the deadlock

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MAHEMUD TEKUYA, JSD/Ph.D candidate, University of the Pacific The Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam is inching closer to completion, rekindling the environmental and political controversies that have dogged the project from the start nearly 10 years ago. In addition, recent satellite images show a steady increase in the amount of water being held back by the new mega dam. Mahemud Tekuya explains what’s at stake. The current dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is directly linked to colonial-era Nile treaties. During the scramble for Africa, controlling the source of the Nile was a major colonial goal for the British. In…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Egypt and Sudan criticise Ethiopia at start of new Nile dam talks

NEWS

EGYPT and Sudan criticised Ethiopia for what they called unilateral filling of its Blue Nile dam at a new round of talks that kicked off on Monday to regulate the flow of water from the huge project. Sudan and Egypt both fear the $4 billion hydroelectric dam could lead to water shortages in their own countries. The Blue Nile is a tributary of the Nile, from which Egypt's 100 million people get 90% of their freshwater. Almost a decade of tortuous negotiations have failed to yield an agreement to regulate how Ethiopia will fill the reservoir and operate the dam…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to hold more talks on Renaissance dam

NEWS

ETHIOPIA, Egypt and Sudan have agreed to resume talks to break a deadlock on the Grand Renaissance Dam reservoir on the Blue Nile, the leaders of the three countries have said. The announcements made separately by Ethiopian leader Abiy Ahmed, Sudan's Abdalla Hamdok and Egypt's presidency, followed a virtual mini-African Union summit that was called after they failed to reach an agreement earlier this month. "The extraordinary meeting... concluded with all parties reaching a major common understanding which paves the way for a breakthrough agreement," Abiy's office said in a statement which was posted on Twitter. South Africa's President Cyril…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Kenya fishermen say they are squeezed by Ethiopian mega-dam

ENVIRONMENT

BAZ RATNER FISHERMEN on the shores of Kenya's Lake Turkana, the world's biggest desert lake, have no doubt about what is to blame for their dwindling fish stocks: a giant hydroelectric dam built by Ethiopia on the River Omo, which feeds the lake. "We are now seeing Nile perch stocks drastically reduce," said fisherman Fitbo Lalukol. He says boats must sail much further out into the lake to get a good catch. Officials at Ethiopia's ministry of water, irrigation and energy did not respond immediately to a Reuters request for comment on the fishermen's claims. Complaints about the Omo dam…