Filling of Dam Proves Ethiopia’s Stance Not to Harm Downstream Countries, Says Researcher

Addis Ababa July 23/2021 (ENA) The completion of the second round filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has exposed the misinformation disseminated by Egypt and Sudan that the dam will harm their people by causing water scarcity, a researcher on Ethiopian and Arab relations said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the researcher Zahid Zaidan al-Harari said the move proved Ethiopia’s stance to construct the dam without creating significance harm on the downstream countries.

According to him, the second filling of the dam conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles (DoP) signed by Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan in 2015 has exposed the misinformation that has been disseminated by Egypt and Sudan that the dam will harm them.

Ethiopia has carried out the filling carefully and with the view to addressing the concerns of the downstream countries, he said, adding that “the world has witnessed that the filling process was successful in this regard.”

Zahid further stated that successful filling of the dam has dispelled the allegations and strategies followed by Egypt and Sudan to obstruct the second filling of GERD by  internationalizing the issue.

The subsequent operation of the two turbines to commence generating electricity is a great success for all Ethiopians, he pointed out.

But the dam will benefit not only Ethiopia but also the two downstream nations as well as the whole region.  

The activities carried out so far will help the international community, including Egypt and Sudan, to understand the real intention of Ethiopia, which is never doing anything that significantly harms others, the researcher elaborated.

This concrete act is compelling enough for Egypt and Sudan to make a paradigm shift in their stance over the project and come to the negotiating table with the view to sharing benefits of Nile River.  

Moreover, Zahid said the successful conduct of the second filling and subsequent operation of the two turbines will build public trust in the government.

Above all, the accomplishment will correct the misleading and misinformation disseminated by the downstream countries and their allies about the dam and Ethiopia’s intention, he stressed.

The GERD, which is being built by Ethiopians own resources, is over 80 percent completed.