Egypt Raises Alarm Over Ethiopia's Announcement of GERD's Fourth Phase Filling

Egypt has expressed deep concern over Ethiopia's declaration of completing the fourth phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). On Sunday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry labeled this move a "blatant breach of the 2015 Declaration of Principles" inked between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.

The Ministry, in a statement disseminated via its official Facebook account, noted that such unilateral actions by Ethiopia directly undermine the rights and interests of downstream nations. It emphasized that such moves imperil their water security, a principle enshrined in international law.

The statement went on to convey that this recent step by Ethiopia complicates the ongoing negotiations. These talks, with an established conclusion timeline of four months, are now under added strain. The ministry expressed hopes for constructive outcomes from the upcoming negotiation session scheduled in Addis Ababa, aiming to finalize the rules governing the dam's filling and operation.

In contrast, Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, earlier today conveyed through his official account on "X" platform (formerly known as Twitter) that Ethiopia had managed to navigate both domestic and international challenges related to the GERD. He proudly announced the successful completion of the dam's final filling stage.