Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has confirmed the country has completed the third filling of its mega-dam reservoir on the Blue Nile. 

The announcement shortly follows the announcement that the dam's second turbine had begun producing electricity. The decision was made in spite of Egypt and Sudan's continuing objections to the project, and their protests to the UN Security Council.

"Today as you see behind me, the third filling is complete," Abiy announced on national television. "Compared to last year, we have reached 600 metres, which is 25 metres higher than the previous filling. The Nile is a gift of God given to us for Ethiopians to make use of it."

The $4.2bn (£3.4bn) mega-dam is set to be the largest hydroelectric scheme in Africa. However, the project has been the subject of a decades-long dispute ever since Ethiopia began construction in 2011 without reaching an international consensus. The tragic 2018 death...