Ethiopia will postpone the next phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile River, the country's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said during a session of the Ethiopian House of Representatives.
The filling of the dam will be implemented in September, rather than August, as was originally planned.
"Instead of completing the filling in early August like in the previous rounds, it will be done at the beginning of September or at the end of August," Ahmed said.
According to the prime minister, Ethiopia is taking into account the concerns of downstream nations, including South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt in filling the dam.
Tensions between the three African countries reached their peak in the summer of 2020, when Ethiopia began to fill the reservoir without agreeing with the other two states.
The three countries have already held over a dozen consultations aimed at resolving issues concerning water distribution, but their differences remain.
In July 2021, Ethiopia completed the second phase of filling the reservoir. The third phase was completed in August 2022.