Officials from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan say they have reached a preliminary agreement aimed at clearing the way for the filling and operation of a $US5 billion ($A7.2 billion) dam project on the Nile River. The project, called the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, is around 70 per cent complete and promises to provide much-needed electricity for Ethiopia's more than 100 million people. However, Egyptian officials are concerned that filing the reservoir behind the dam too quickly could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt. "The ministers agree that there is a shared responsibility of the three countries in managing drought and prolonged drought," the officials said in their joint statement. In an address to the United Nations General Assembly last year, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said he would never allow Ethiopia to impose a "de facto situation" by filing the dam without an agreement on its operation.

Source: Ethiopian News January 16, 2020 07:58 UTC