Renaissance Dam set to benefit entire East African region

South Sudan Ambassador to Ethiopia, James Morgan believes that the East Africa region will have enough energy once the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is completed.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Morgan said the dam is part of the infrastructure projects that boost economic development in the region.

“The Renaissance dam will produce energy not only for Ethiopia but also for the region. This, I think, is almost towards completion. So, we don’t have any more questions about it. It is almost done,” he noted.

Ethiopia announced the successful completion of the third filling of the dam and the start of electricity generation from its second turbine last week.

The ambassador also pointed out that the remaining issues are now left only to the three countries (Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt) to settle everything smoothly.

Egypt and Sudan, both downstream nations, have demanded Ethiopia sign a “binding and comprehensive” agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, a demand which has been resisted by Ethiopia.

Cairo views the structure as an existential threat to its share of Nile water, its only source of freshwater.

Ethiopia bases its decision to continue filling the reservoir on the 2015 declaration it signed with Khartoum and Cairo, under which Addis Ababa reserves the right to carry on construction works while talks are ongoing.

Years of negotiations between the three countries have failed to secure a breakthrough.

Last year, the UN Security Council called on all three nations to resume African Union-led talks on the matter “within a reasonable time frame.”