Ethiopian Authorities Say Renaissance Dams Construction 90% Complete

The construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which caused tensions in the country's relations with Sudan and Egypt, is 90% complete, Ethiopian media outlet Fana reported on Thursday, referring to the Office of National Coordination for the Construction of the Dam.

On the 12th anniversary of the beginning of the GERD's construction, the Office of National Coordination for the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam held a briefing on the current state of the dam's construction and gave a highly positive assessment to the contributions the Ethiopian people made to the project, including in money, expertise, and labor, the media reported.

The officials also thanked the diplomats who defended the project at the international level, the media reported.

Ethiopia started the massive project in 2012. Experts say the launch of the dam will inevitably lead to water shortages in Sudan and Egypt, continuing to cause tension in their trilateral relations. The three countries have already held over a dozen consultations aimed at resolving the issues concerning water distribution, but their differences remain.

The tensions between the three African countries reached their peak in the summer of 2020, as Ethiopia started filling the reservoir without having agreed on that with the other two states. In July 2021, Ethiopia finished the second stage of the reservoir filling. In August 2022, the third stage was completed.