Ethiopia to maintain GERD construction, filling timetables despite covid-19: Ethiopia intends to continue work on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and is sticking to its timeline for filling the dam despite the impact of covid-19, Bloomberg reports, quoting Ethiopia’s State Minister for Finance Eyob Tekalign. Ethiopia declared a state of emergency over covid-19 last week, but while it might reprioritize some projects because of the virus, the GERD is not among them, said Tekalign, who spoke with Bloomberg last week.

Egypt, Sudan reiterate calls for Washington timetable: Egypt and Sudan agreed to stick to the draft agreement approved by Washington for the dam’s filling timetable, following a Thursday meeting between Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and Egyptian Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Aty in Khartoum on Thursday, a cabinet statement said. The timeline for filling the dam’s reservoir has been a key point of contention in GERD negotiations between Ethiopia and countries downstream of the Nile. Ethiopia has long said it will begin filling it in July but Egypt has demanded that there be a formal agreement in place deciding the filling and operating timetable before this goes ahead.