Al-Jazeera obtained exclusive photos showing the final shape of the reservoir of the Renaissance Renaissance Dam, while local media reported that the process of mobilizing the reservoir began a week ago, amid continuing differences between the parties concerned.

According to the exclusive photos, the reservoir of the Renaissance Dam will eventually absorb 74 billion cubic meters, and Ethiopia affirms its intention to mobilize the dam on the Blue Nile even if no agreement has been reached with Egypt and Sudan in this regard.

Local Ethiopian newspapers reported that the process of filling the Renaissance Dam reservoir had already started a week ago, while no official permit was issued by the Ethiopian government confirming or denying the news.

On Sunday, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed to hold a final negotiating session on the dam today, Monday.

This agreement came after the end of a negotiation session, in which the irrigation ministers of the three countries participated, in order to overcome differences over the filling and operation of the dam.

A senior source in the Sudanese Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources said that the legal and technical committees will hold two separate sessions today, Monday.

It is expected that the three countries will put their observations and proposals to submit the final report to the presidency of the African Union, to hold a press conference later to review the results.

The Sudanese capital Khartoum embraces the Renaissance Dam negotiations between the three countries, sponsored by the African Union and the participation of international observers, and the negotiations reached their 11th day without registering a breakthrough in the differences between the three parties.

The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation said that the recent negotiation session reflected the continuation of differences on the main issues, foremost of which is the agreement to fill and operate the dam, in light of Cairo and Khartoum refusing to fill it without an agreement, while Ethiopia insists on filling the dam later this month.

Ethiopian proposal
Cairo rejected a proposal from Addis Ababa to postpone the settlement of disputes until after signing an agreement on the operation of the dam.

On the other hand, the Sudanese Minister of Energy and Mining, Khairi Abdul Rahman, said that his country will produce electricity, taking advantage of the relative rise in the water level of the Blue Nile River after filling the Renaissance Dam.

Informed sources indicated that the controversial points regarding the dam are related to the operation and filling of the dam in the period of drought, prolonged drought, and lack of rain.

Ethiopia submitted a proposal to seize water at a rate of 74 billion cubic meters over a period of seven years if it is rainy. As for whether it is drought or prolonged or little drought, it proposes reserving water in stages so as not to harm the downstream countries (Sudan and Egypt).

The same sources added that Cairo rejected the Ethiopian proposal, sticking to its share of water in the Nile, that is, 55 billion and 500 million cubic meters under the 1959 agreement between Egypt and Sudan.

Cairo also calls on Addis Ababa to recognize the three previous agreements for the distribution of water quotas in 1902, 1929 and 1959.

The latter rejected this because it was not a party to these agreements, and it adheres to filling and operating the dam in July, while Egypt and Sudan refuse to add Addis Ababa to this step before reaching an agreement.

Egypt fears affecting its annual share of the Nile's water, which amounts to 55 billion and 500 million cubic meters, and demands an agreement on files, including the safety of the dam, and the determination of its filling rules in times of drought.

Ethiopia says that the aim of building the dam is to generate electricity and develop the country, and stresses that it is not intended to harm the interests of Egypt and Sudan.