African Union calls for resolution to dispute over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

It called for the urgently finalising of a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Nile dam

A satellite image of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile river in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. Maxar Technologies via AP

A satellite image of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile river in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. Maxar Technologies via AP

A 2013 photo showing the Blue Nile river flowing near the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. AP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

Construction workers are seen at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

A view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

A general view of construction work at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia. AFP, File

Sudan's Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasir Mohamed (C) takes part in a video meeting over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on June 9, 2020. AFP

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry. AP

The Nile in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. AFP

The Nile in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. AFP

The Nile in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. AFP

A pleasure boat carrying tourists and locals sails on the Nile at sunset in Aswan, Egypt. AP, file

Sayed Ahmed Abdoh poles his boat to check fish traps in the Nile, near Abu Al Nasr village, about 770 kilometres south of Cairo, in Egypt. AP, file

An aerial view shows the Nile before sunset in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. AFP

An aerial view shows the Nile before sunset in the Egyptian capital, Cairo on June 20, 2020. AFP

The African Union has called for an urgent agreement over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd), the project that has stoked tensions between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbours, Egypt and Sudan.

It said on Friday that the most recent virtual talks, held on Tuesday and overseen by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, showed progress. But Ethiopia rejected the call for a binding agreement and said that it will only accept a guiding agreement.

The AU underscored “the importance of cooperation as a basis for integration” for the prosperity of all three countries.

Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat to their water supplies, while Ethiopia considers it essential for its electrification and development.

Ethiopia planned to begin filling the dam's reservoir this month, in the middle of its rainy season.

Ethiopia said on Tuesday that its first-year target has been reached for filling a dam on the Blue Nile River.

The announcement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office indicated that enough water had accumulated to enable Ethiopia to test the dam's first two turbines – a milestone on the way to producing electricity.

But it risked drawing the ire of both Cairo and Khartoum, which had insisted that a trilateral agreement on the dam's operations be reached before Addis Ababa began impounding water in the dam's reservoir.

"It has become evident over the past two weeks in the rainy season that the Gerd first year filling is achieved and the dam under construction is already overtopping," Mr Abiy's office said in a statement.

The project has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.

Last week, Ethiopian officials acknowledged that water was gathering in the dam's reservoir, though officials said this was a "natural" part of the construction process.

The statement from Mr Abiy's office on Tuesday did not say if the first-year target had been hit through a "natural" process or through steps to expedite filling.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El Sisi said after the Tuesday mini-summit that Cairo had a “sincere desire” to resolve the dam dispute and its “points of contention”.