Ethiopia officially begins mobilizing the Renaissance Dam with Nile water

Ethiopia began today, Wednesday, the process of mobilizing the Renaissance Dam that it built on the Blue Nile, after the failure of its negotiations with Egypt and Sudan on technical and legal aspects related to the mechanism of water storage.

Ethiopian television quoted Minister of Irrigation Silesi Baqli as announcing the start of the process of mobilizing the Renaissance Dam.

This development comes after Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan failed to reach agreement in a new round of African Union-sponsored talks on regulating the flow of water from the giant dam.

On Tuesday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy said, "The unchanging and additional (demands) of Egypt and Sudan have prevented reaching an agreement to conclude the negotiation round."

She gave no details, but added that Ethiopia was ready to show flexibility as the talks continued.

The dam was built about 15 km from the border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile.

Sudan and Egypt are seeking a legally binding agreement before filling the dam, which Ethiopia says it will embark on this month, taking advantage of monsoons.

The dam is the cornerstone on which Ethiopia builds its ambition to become Africa's largest electricity exporter.

But, at the same time, it is fueling fears in Cairo of pressuring the already scarce water supply from the Nile, on which almost 100 million people depend almost entirely.

For his part, the Egyptian Minister of Irrigation said that what is reported by Ethiopia regarding Egypt's acquisition of the lion's share of the Nile water is pure fabrications that are denied by official figures.

The Minister pointed out that Ethiopia and the Nile Basin countries have lakes and dams holding huge amounts of water in addition to rain water, and that livestock in Ethiopia alone consumes the equivalent of the shares of Egypt and Sudan combined.

He stressed that Cairo has never stood against development in Africa, but it is against harming its interests and rights.

The Egyptian minister’s statements came two days after the conclusion of negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the Renaissance Dam without reaching an agreement.