Egyptian observers were relieved by the quick ending of the dam’s second filling without realising that their grave warnings were wrong and arose from a lack of key technical information. By announcing the completion of its second-year target for backing up water in the dam, Ethiopia has defused the crisis with both Egypt and Sudan. Water Minister Seleshi Bekele confirmed that the second year filling target had been hit ahead of earlier predictions that the process would take until August. Bekele had said the second filling would stop at a level of 573 meters. Some local media even portrayed the second filling as an imminent disaster that Cairo would likely meet with military force.

Source: Ethiopian News July 23, 2021 11:26 UTC