Sudan joins Egypt in criticising power production switch-on at Ethiopia's Nile dam

Sudanese spokesman says Ethiopia's latest move violates its international legal commitments

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed waves as he leaves the ceremony for the start of energy production at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. AFP

Sudan has joined Egypt in criticising Ethiopia’s decision to begin generating electricity from a dam constructed on the Blue Nile.

They said the move on Sunday amounted to a unilateral action that violated Ethiopia's international law commitments.

“Sudan reasserts its rejection of all unilateral measures associated with the filling and operation of the dam,” Omar Kamel, spokesman for the country’s negotiating team on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, said on Monday.

He said the first two fillings of the reservoir behind the dam in 2020 and 2021 along with events on Sunday were “contrary to the spirit of co-operation; and constitute a breach of Ethiopia’s international legal commitments and violate what the three nations (Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt) agreed on in the declaration of intent”.

Egypt has reacted angrily to Ethiopia’s latest move, saying it was the latest in a series of steps that “violate its commitments” under the 2015 declaration of intent, which prohibits unilateral action by any of the three nations.

Egypt, which depends on the Nile for almost all its fresh water, said the dam could significantly reduce its share of the river’s waters, wiping out hundreds of thousands of agricultural jobs.

Sudan, which borders Ethiopia, said the dam could disrupt work on its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile and, unless supplied with real-time data on water flow rates, poses a threat of flooding.

The two have for years tried to persuade Ethiopia to enter a legally binding agreement on the operation of the dam and filling of its reservoir, and to agree to mechanisms to deal with persistent drought.

Ethiopia said that guidelines should be enough and has sought to allay the fears of the two downstream nations.

The last round of negotiations, in April last year, ended in acrimony and no date has been set for more talks.

The Ethiopian dam will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric project when completed and is expected to generate more than 5,000 megawatts.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed dismissed the concerns of Egypt and Sudan on Sunday, as he has done in the past.

“As you can see, this water will generate energy while flowing as it previously flowed to Sudan and Egypt, unlike the rumours that say the Ethiopian people and government are damming the water to starve Egypt and Sudan,” he said.

“Ethiopia doesn't have the desire to hurt anybody. Ethiopia's only desire is to provide electricity to the mothers who have never seen a light bulb, to alleviate the burdens of those who carry sticks on their backs to generate electricity, and to extricate them from the poverty we're in currently.”

The 145-metre high dam is located in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of western Ethiopia, about 20 kilometres from the border with Sudan. Ethiopia is looking to it to power its development and lift millions out of poverty.