Egypt Daily News – Dr. Hani Sweilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, confirmed that cracks have been detected in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), particularly in its concrete layer, and have been repaired. He also stated that Egypt has requested detailed safety procedures for the dam but has not received them yet, emphasizing the importance of this information for the safety of 150 million people in Egypt and Sudan.
During an interview on the program “Al-Hekaya” on MBC Masr, Sweilam denied reports that Ethiopia had offered to sell Egypt additional water beyond its allocated share.
He added that Egypt was among the first countries to support the Nile Basin Initiative financially, technically, and politically, contributing to its development into a strong institution that serves as a cornerstone for cooperation within the Nile Basin.
Sweilam acknowledged that both Egypt and Sudan have been affected by the construction of the GERD. However, he explained that large floods in the Blue Nile have compensated for the water shortage caused by the dam’s filling process. The high floods in recent years have prevented Egypt from experiencing severe water crises.
He also noted that Egypt engaged in 12 years of negotiations with Ethiopia to ensure that the dam’s filling process occurs during flood periods to minimize damage. However, Ethiopia ignored these requests and proceeded with unilateral filling, disregarding the Declaration of Principles agreement. He warned that filling the dam during drought periods could worsen the crisis and that Ethiopia’s uncoordinated operations could cause more harm to Sudan than to Egypt.
