Page 11 - AfrElec Annual Review 2021

AfrElec M AY AfrElec

Ethiopia goes ahead with GERD

filling despite regional tensions

ETHIOPIA ETHIOPIA began the second filling of the res- concrete works at the top of the middle corridor
ervoir at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam at the dam had been completed, meaning that
(GERD) in early May. the existing infrastructure might not be able to
A Sudanese irrigation ministry official said cope with more water.
that further construction work at GERD had “It is possible that Ethiopia will not be able
already allowed the second filling to begin, with to achieve the second storage in its full capacity
it set to continue in July and August following (13.5 bcm),” he said. “The ramp may be less than
seasonal rains, Reuters reported. 10 metres instead of 30 metres, and storing less
Filling the dam for the second summer in a than 13.5 bcm is the expected situation.”
could cause tensions with Egypt and Sudan, as This comes despite Addis Ababa’s repeated
the countries have failed to agree on filling the statements that the second filling of the GERD
dam. would commence in July as planned.
Ethiopia had on May 25 stated that it was The whole GERD question threatens to pro-
committed to implementing the second phase mote political instability in the region.
of filling the dam in summer 20201 despite the At the weekend, the US announced new sanc-
lack of progress in talks with Egypt and Sudan. tions against Ethiopia, imposing visa restrictions
Addis Ababa said that it has followed the on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of
spirit of the African Union (AU)-sponsored crimes related to the six-month conflict in Tigray
GERD talks carried out so far, and that it was region.
confident that talks would resume. The region has seen bloody armed conflict
Ethiopia wants to add 13.5bn cubic metres between the Ethiopian government and the
of water during the second filling in the GERD Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
reservoir in July, according to press statements In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony
by Egypt’s irrigation minister. Blinken also announced that restrictions would
Both Egypt and Sudan are against the move, be imposed on economic and security assis-
as there is no legally binding international agree- tance to Ethiopia, but that humanitarian aid
ment governing the operation. would remain for areas such as health, food and
In response to Ethiopia’s actions, the Egyp- education.
tian media questioned whether Ethiopia would The US restrictions target “current or for-
in fact be able to carry out the filling this summer. mer Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials,
Abbas Sharaky, a professor of geology and members of the security forces, or other individ-
water resources at Cairo University, explained uals – to include Amhara regional and irregular
that water levels had risen at the dam in recent forces and members of the Tigray People’s Lib-
weeks, adding that about 1 bcm of water fallen on eration Front (TPLF) – responsible for, or com-
the Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia in the past three plicit in, undermining resolution of the crisis in
weeks. Tigray”.™
However, he warned that not enough

Annual Review 2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P11