The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday criticized Ethiopia’s announcement regarding its completion of the fourth and final filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) reservoir, which Egypt called a continued violation of the Declaration of Principles signed between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan in 2015. In its statement, the Foreign Ministry explained that the Declaration of Principles stipulates that all three countries must agree on the rules for filling and operating GERD before commencing the filling process. Stagnant talksThe Ethiopian government announced on August 11, 2022, that it has completed the third GERD filling unilaterally. Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally binding agreement on operating the dam, while Ethiopia says any pact should be advisory. Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements.
