Sudan has dismissed Ethiopia's statement that the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile river has begun generating energy, calling it a "unilateral step." In a statement, acting Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Daw Al-Bait Abdul-Rahman said, "Ethiopia's decision to unilaterally begin operation of the GERD represents a violation of the Declaration of Principles signed by the three parties."

"Before making the move, the Ethiopian side should have supplied enough information to the other parties, such as the volume of water expected to exit from behind the dam, so that the Sudanese reservoirs could absorb it and the required safeguards could be taken," he said.

According to reports, Abdul-Rahman stated that Ethiopia had never informed Sudan of the start of energy generation, and that "this has been done unilaterally, and hence it is an unacceptable move, regardless of its explanations." "Sudan's interest is a red line," the Minister said, emphasising the importance of all parties sitting down together to reach a unified perspective on the GERD file.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially opened the first power generation of the GERD, Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, on Sunday.

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