The National Security Council of Ethiopia on Saturday issued a statement on current issues in the country regarding national and regional security affairs.
The statement indicates that Ethiopia is going through several challenges due to some internal and external forces working to destabilize the nation.
The statement lists the upcoming election, second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and maintenance of national and regional peace and security are the decisive steps Ethiopia should take towards for a better tomorrow.
The Council in its statement said that the second filling of the dam will be achieved despite the challenges the country is facing from inside and outside.
GERD talks
Ethiopia responds for the request of Sudan that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance (GERD) talk shall be lead by the continental organization. Abiy Ahmed said assuming the negotiation process as a failure is incorrect.
Ethiopia says the way forward on the GERD negotiations is to request the Chairperson of the African Union, President Felix Tshisekedi to call the meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in response to the letter of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok dated 13, April 2021, stated that assuming the negotiation process as a failure is not right, “because we have seen some tangible results including the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) and the establishment of the National Independent Scientific Research Group (NISRG) and its work in relation to stage based filling schedule.”
The letter also cites the Kinshasa meeting, the understanding reached on the resumption of the stalled AU led trilateral negotiation, the agreement reached on the continued and enhanced role of the observers, namely EU, South Africa, and United States, and the need for the current AU Chairperson to use resources at his disposal for the effective discharge of his facilitation role.
Acknowledging the legal and technical issues that need to be tackled for a win-win outcome, the letter also appreciates the AU-led process for providing the opportunity to the tripartite to deal with the most pressing issues in spite of the interruption nine times.
“If parties negotiate in good faith results are within our reach,” says the letter, and “Ethiopia still believes that the best way forward is to continue the trilateral negotiation under the AU-led process to reach a win-win outcome.”
Bottom outlets
Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Seleshi Bekele said that both the recently completed bottom outlets of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have gone operational with total capacity of discharging 1,860 cubic meter per second.
The Minister said the process of the dam is now in state of reassuring safety, quality and functionality of ancillary structures.
The completion of the two bottom outlets ensures continuous water flows to the downstream countries and supports the overflow of the river, he noted.
Bothe the two outlets are now functional.
“Each has a capacity of discharging 930 metric cube of water per second with total capacity of 1,860 m3/s. It means the two together actually come to discharge the entire flow of Abbay River in a matter of a year.” the Minister elaborated.
“Our dam is designed in such a way that it doesn’t cause any type of harm to downstream countries.” he underlined.
The two bottom outlets have a capacity to complete the withdrawal of 50 billion cubic meter which is average annual flow of the Abay River.
Outflow of the water is not managed only through the two outlets, the Minister said, adding that when thirteen turbines start operation each enables inflow of 330 cubic meter of water per second allowing large amount of water to the downstream.