AFRIKA
Nijlmachten willen overeenstemming over dam in Ethiopië
January 9, 2020 - De buitenlandministers van Egypte, Ethiopië en Sudan willen een langlopende ruzie bijleggen over een enorm damproject in de Nijl, dat de vrees voor een conflict over schaarse waterbronnen aanwakkerde
Officials from the three countries began a new round of negotiations on Wednesday in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The parties are expected to meet in Washington D.C. on January 15 to come up with a final agreement on how Nile River water will be shared once the dam becomes operational.
The project, called the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is around 70 percent complete and promises to provide much needed electricity for Ethiopia’s people. However, Egyptian officials are concerned that filling the reservoir behind the dam could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt.
Ethiopia has said it will start filling the reservoir in 2020, although construction, which began in 2011, has been hit by delays.
The dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa when completed, with a projected capacity of more than 6,000 megawatts.
- Power-starved Ethiopia rallies around Nile dam as Egypt dispute simmers (AFP)
- Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (IHA)
- Bridging the gap in the Nile waters dispute (International Crisis Group)
- Filling of GERD’s lake to begin in July (Asharq Al-Awsat)
- Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam analysis (SpringerLink)