Ethiopia will officially inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in September, following the end of the rainy season, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday.
He extended an invitation to Egypt and Sudan to attend the ceremony, despite the unresolved dispute over the dam's impact on downstream countries.
Speaking in parliament, Abiy claimed the dam “will not harm the interests of Egypt or Sudan,” adding that “not a single liter of water has been lost from the Aswan Dam due to GERD.”
His comments, reported by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), come after years of failed negotiations between the three nations.
In March, the Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam acknowledged that GERD had affected Egypt but said the country managed the situation “at a cost.” He cited the 2015 Declaration of Principles, which stipulates that if the dam causes harm to downstream nations, compensation is required. “Egypt will demand it one day,” he added.
Abiy accused unnamed parties of trying to obstruct the inauguration, but maintained Ethiopia's willingness to resume dialogue with Cairo.
This week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed that water security is Egypt's top national concern, describing it as an “existential threat.” He stressed that Egypt would not allow any compromise on its historical share of Nile waters.
Abdelatty reiterated that negotiations had hit a dead end after 12 years, accusing Ethiopia of using talks to impose a “fait accompli” andwarned that Egypt reserves the right to defend its water interests if threatened.
Last December, Egypt officially declared the end of the negotiation track. The Ministry of of Water Resources and Irrigation said it would closely monitor the dam's filling and operation, asserting Egypt's right to defend its national and water security under international law.
Tensions escalated last September when Ethiopia informed the UN Security Council that Egypt had repeatedly threatened the use of force. Addis Ababa said it remained open to legal negotiations to resolve the dispute.
