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Ethiopia Storing 7 Billion Cubic Meters of Nile Waters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)
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Ethiopia Storing 7 Billion Cubic Meters of Nile Waters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)

Ethiopia has stored around 7 billion cubic meters of water since starting the third round of water collection from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Addis Ababa began building the GERD on the Blue Nile River in 2011, raising tension with the downstream states, Egypt and Sudan.

Abbas Sharaki, Egyptian water resources expert and professor of geology, revealed Monday that since starting the third filling operation this year, Ethiopia managed to store up to 7 billion cubic meters of water at 597 meters above sea level.

It has so far amassed 15 billion cubic meters in the Renaissance Dam lake.

Ethiopia is carrying out the filling for the third straight year. Water is usually collected during the flood season that runs from June until September.

On July 26, Egypt said it received a letter from Ethiopia saying Addis Ababa would continue filling the GERD reservoir during the current flood season - a move opposed by Cairo that it believes is a breach of the obligations imposed by international law.

Sharaki revealed that during this week, half a billion cubic meters of water are being stored every day, while about 70 million cubic meters continue to flow from the two drainage holes towards Sudan and Egypt with an increase of 70 cm in the lake’s level.

Egypt will not be affected by Ethiopia’s filling due to its Aswan High Dam and its water reserves, he assured.

However, he added: “This does not give Ethiopia the right to impose a fait accompli on the two downstream countries. On the contrary, this filling increases Egypt’s commitment to its water rights.”

The Egyptian government is currently working to inaugurate a number of projects to address the country’s water crisis.

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Aty said on Monday work is underway to rehabilitate water canals in Upper Egypt with an aim to raise the efficiency of the infrastructure of water facilities.

Meanwhile, Eng. Mohamed Ghanem, the spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, said that Egypt produces only 60 billion cubic meters of water, while its needs 114 billion cubic meters per year.

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Arab World

Syria’s Reconciliation Committee Prioritizes Stability after Anger Over Prisoner Releases

Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)
Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)
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Syria’s Reconciliation Committee Prioritizes Stability after Anger Over Prisoner Releases

Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)
Member of the High Committee for National Reconciliation Hassan Soufan and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Facebook)

Syria’s High Committee for National Reconciliation has defended recent controversial prisoner releases, saying the decision aims to preserve national stability amid ongoing tensions.

Committee member Hassan Soufan confirmed that several officers recently freed had voluntarily surrendered in 2021 at the Iraqi border and in the Al-Sukhna region, under a formal request for safe conduct.

Speaking at a press conference in Damascus on Tuesday, Soufan addressed public backlash following the releases and acknowledged the deep pain felt by victims’ families.

“We fully understand the anger and grief of the families of martyrs,” he said. “But the current phase requires decisions that can help secure relative stability for the coming period.”

The controversy erupted after the Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday the release of dozens of detainees in Latakia, many of whom were arrested during the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation, which contributed to the fall of the Assad regime.

Among those involved in the mediation effort was Fadi Saqr, a former commander in the regime’s National Defense Forces, who has been accused of war crimes, including involvement in the Tadamon massacre in southern Damascus.

Soufan explained that the released officers had undergone investigation and were found not to have participated in war crimes. “Keeping them imprisoned no longer serves a national interest,” he said. “It has no legal justification.”

He stressed that Syria is in a delicate phase of national reconciliation, in which balancing justice and peace is critical.

“There are two parallel tracks - transitional justice and civil peace - and today, the priority is civil peace, as it lays the groundwork for all other strategic efforts,” he said.

Soufan added that the committee has requested expanded powers from the Syrian president, including the authority to release detainees not proven guilty and to coordinate directly with state institutions.

He insisted that the aim is not to bypass justice, but to prevent further bloodshed. “Vengeance and retribution are not paths to justice,” he said. “They allow real criminals to slip away while deepening divisions.”

While affirming that transitional justice remains essential, Soufan noted that it should focus on top perpetrators of atrocities, not individuals who merely served under the regime. “Justice means accountability for those who planned and carried out major crimes, not blanket punishment.”