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Egypt Independent
“Ethiopia plans to clear 17,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of forests around the Renaissance Dam next month, in preparation for a new filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)”, a statement announced on Thursday.
The third filling announcement was made at a meeting between Ethiopian Minister of Irrigation Aisha Mohamed, the Governor of the Benishangul-Gumuz region Al-Shazly Hassan, and officials from the Ethiopian government in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, where the Renaissance Dam is located.
“Preparations are underway to complete what is required for the third phase of deforestation for the third filling of the Renaissance Dam. Deforestations will be completed within 60 days from the start of work next month”, the statement added.
The Ethiopian authorities had cleared 4,854 hectares of land before the second filling in July 2021.
On Thursday, Ethiopia announced it will “soon start producing energy from the GERD”. However, Addis Ababa confirmed that it still willing to negotiate with Egypt and Sudan, despite the filling process and energy production.
The most recent GERD negotiations stalled in April 2021, after Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia failed to reach understandings before the start of the second filling of the dam, which took place in July 2021.
