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EthiopiaÌýsaid Tuesday it rejected "unwelcome meddling" by theÌýArabÌýLeagueÌýin a long-running dispute with Egypt and Sudan overÌý

The statement from the foreign ministry came asÌýEgypt slammedÌýrenewed filling of the and as the UN Security Council prepared to revisit the row Thursday.Ìý

TheÌýArabÌýLeagueÌýannounced last month it was backing Security Council intervention,ÌýdespiteÌý that talks proceed under an ongoing process led by the African Union.Ìý

"EthiopiaÌýrejects the unwelcome meddling by theÌýLeagueÌýofÌýArabÌýStates on the matter of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) following theÌýLeague's submission of a letter to the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly to intervene in the matter,"ÌýTuesday'sÌýEthiopiaÌýforeign ministry statement said.Ìý

"TheÌýLeagueÌýofÌýArabÌýStates has a reputation for its unfettered and unconditional support to any claim Egypt has presented on the issue of the Nile."Ìý

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ForeignÌýMinisterÌýDemeke Mekonnen conveyed this position in a letter of his own to the Security Council on Monday, the statement said.Ìý

The GERD, situated on the Blue Nile River and set to be Africa's largest hydroelectric project when completed, has sparked an almost decade-long diplomatic stand-off between Addis Ababa and downstream nations Egypt and Sudan.Ìý

EthiopiaÌýsays the project is essential to its development, but Cairo and fear it could crimp their water flow.Ìý

Both governments have been pushing Addis Ababa to ink a binding deal over the filling and operation of the dam.Ìý

, however, has insisted it will move ahead with reservoir-filling in the absence of a deal.Ìý

On Monday Egypt saidÌýEthiopiaÌýhad begun the second phase of filling the reservoir, a process expected to capture 13.5 billion cubic metres of water.Ìý

Egypt expressed its "firm rejection of this unilateral measure".Ìý

Abiy's office andÌýEthiopia's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for confirmation that second-phase filling had begun.Ìý

But a senior water ministry official toldÌýAFPÌýit would be in line with the calendarÌýEthiopiaÌýhas long said it would follow.Ìý

EthiopiaÌýargues that adding water to the reservoir, especially during the heavy rainfalls of July and August, is a natural part of construction.Ìý

"Filling goes in tandem with the construction," said a senior official at the water ministry. "If the rainfall is as you see it now in July, it must have begun."Ìý

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