CAIRO – 17 February 2021: The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Wednesday of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) before reaching a legal binding agreement, as reported by Al Arabiyah. In mid-July 2020, Ethiopian authorities unilaterally carried out the first phase of the filling process with 4.9 billion cubic meters; and it is expected – as reported by the BBC- that the second phase of the filling would reach 13 billion cubic meters. The dispute among Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia dates back to May 2011 when Ethiopia started building the dam; Egypt voiced concern over its water share [55.5 billion cubic meters]. Three years later, a series of tripartite talks between the two countries along with Sudan began to reach an agreement, while Ethiopia continued the dam construction. The area spanning over 250 square kilometers has been experiencing deadly clashes, and armed attacks by Ethiopian militias.

Source: Egypt Today February 17, 2021 16:06 UTC