Overview

• Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed opened the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, calling it a national milestone as Kenya’s William Ruto and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended.
• Ethiopia plans to bring all 13 turbines toward full operation with a planned capacity of about 6,000 megawatts to cut widespread power shortages and expand regional electricity exports.
• Egypt and Sudan reiterated objections, with Cairo saying it will pursue available measures under international law and filing a complaint to the UN Security Council, while both countries seek a legally binding deal on filling and operations.
• A decade of talks has produced no binding agreement, leaving key drought-release rules unresolved and fueling fears over water security for downstream populations.
• Experts warn the large reservoir—about 74 billion cubic meters—will transform a river stretch into standing water, bringing ecological changes alongside potential benefits such as flood control and industrial growth.