Egypt has condemned Ethiopia’s plan to restart filling the reservoir behind its massive Blue Nile hydroelectric project for a second year.
Mohamed Abdel Aty, Egypt’s irrigation minister, said that he had received formal notification from Ethiopia of the filling and strongly rejected it.
He said in a statement that the “unilateral” action was “a breach of international rules and standards that govern projects constructed on shared basins of international rivers, including the Nile River.”
Additionally, the minister has written to the United Nations Security Council notifying it of Ethiopia’s newest action, the statement said. The council is scheduled to meet on Thursday to address the issue.
Ethiopia had been advised by Egypt and Sudan to delay until they established a legally binding agreement on the dam’s operation.
Egypt and Sudan, which lie downstream, are concerned that the $4 billion (£3 billion) project would significantly limit their water supply. Egypt has been fearful that it would interrupt the river’s flow, on which it relies nearly completely for its fresh water requirements.
Ethiopia asserts that the project is critical to its growth since it has the potential to electrify 60% of its population.
