Serious cracks in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Egypt warned of cracks extending in the concrete facade of the associated sub-dam The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance DamThis is particularly alarming due to Ethiopia’s failure to comply with the duty to conduct the required environmental and socio-economic impact studies.

The letter sent by the Egyptian Minister of Irrigation, Mohamed Abdel-Aty, was devoted to talking regarding Ethiopia’s unilateral decision to fill the third filling of the Renaissance Dam, according to what was reported by local media.

It also indicated that Egypt received a message regarding Ethiopia’s intention to unilaterally decide to resume filling the Grand Renaissance Dam in the current rainy season, and to reach the water level to 600 meters in the downstream section of the dam.

Breach of the Agreement of Principles

The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation explained that this decision comes in the absence of an agreement between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on the rules governing the filling and operation of the Renaissance Dam, and thus completely ignores the statement of the President of the Security Council issued in September 2021, and constitutes a repeated material breach of the 2015 Declaration of Principles Agreement.

He also stressed in his letter that the Declaration of Principles Agreement does not stipulate that the construction and filling of the Renaissance Dam will take place at the same time, and there is in fact no ambiguity that the normal meaning of the text of the agreement is read in its context and in light of the subject and purpose of the agreement, which is actually to demand Ethiopia to conclude a binding agreement Legally with Egypt and Sudan regarding the rules governing the filling and operation of the dam before the start of filling and operation operations.

AlNahda dam

Frequent violations

In addition, the Minister of Irrigation reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of these repeated violations of Ethiopia’s obligations under the applicable rules of international law, including the Declaration of Principles Agreement, stressing that Egypt holds Ethiopia fully responsible for any significant damage that may be caused to Egypt by these repeated violations.

It is noteworthy that Ethiopia started the third filling of the Renaissance Dam without reaching a binding legal agreement with the downstream countries Egypt and Sudan on the rules for filling and operating the dam, and without observing international laws and the 2015 Declaration of Principles agreement signed between the three countries.