Addis Ababa is to start the third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next July, reported the Ethiopian Reporter. The reported sources added that water flows begin to increase from mid-June, so the first of July is an excellent time to start filling. The magazine added that Addis Ababa is conducting the necessary technical tests to turn on the second turbine. The target of the third filling is to increase the height up to 608 meters to increase the water reserve to 28.9 billion cubic meters next August.

Two weeks ago, the general manager of the Renaissance Dam, Kefli Horo, admitted that the dam has side effects on Egypt and Sudan due to the filling. Horo, however, claimed that Egyptian fears are exaggerated because of political purposes. Horo added in a TV interview that the Egyptian and Sudanese concerns are irrelevant for Ethiopia, which insists on carrying out the filling. The manager excluded the worries about the resilience of the dam’s body and any possibility of collapsing.

Unlike Egypt, which did not comment, Sudan described Horo’s statements as “irresponsible” and “toxifying the positive atmosphere that prevailed the previous months, pointing out that Ethiopia’s indifference towards Sudan’s and Egypt’s worries despite admitting the side effects makes sure the Ethiopian insistence on unilateral policies. It is noticed that Ethiopia implemented the second filling in July 2021 despite the Egyptian and Sudanese refusal.