Ethiopia wants to start filling its Renaissance Dam on the Nile river in 2020, a process that will not affect the downstream nation of Egypt, the country's ambassador to Russia, Alemayehu Tegenu, said in an interview with Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2020) Ethiopia wants to start filling its Renaissance Dam on the Nile river in 2020, a process that will not affect the downstream nation of Egypt, the country's ambassador to Russia, Alemayehu Tegenu, said in an interview with Sputnik.
"We want to start the dam filing in 2020, during the wet season. It is already agreed. When we start the dam filling, that doesn't mean Egyptians will be affected by that filling, because we follow the state dam filling, the strategy is already there. You don't feel the dam at once; it needs certain time, 4-7 years. It will be monitored very carefully from the Ethiopian side," Tegenu said.
Speaking about possible international mediators who could help promote progress in the long-lasting negotiations, the ambassador said that there was no need for one.
"We don't need any mediator at this time. This is an African issue. We will solve African problems among Africans," Tegenu said.
He added that the dam's construction was already 70 percent complete.
