With our regional correspondent in Nairobi, Sébastien Németh

Learning of the launch of a second phase of filling, Egypt denounced a "violation of international law" and immediately alerted the UN Security Council, which is to meet Thursday on the matter. Egyptians and Sudanese are pushing for the principal UN body to seize the matter and force Ethiopia to stop everything until a tripartite agreement is reached.

The Renaissance Dam is 80% constructed. A first filling phase had been carried out last year to test the operation of a turbine serving in particular to manage water flow and to retain nearly 5 billion cubic meters. This second phase is to allow water to reach new turbines, to continue testing and to fill an additional 13.5 billion cubic meters of water.

The Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministers are already in New York. Ahead of the meeting, they have already met with representatives from several countries, Ireland, Mexico, Estonia and Norway, in order to defend their point of view. The Arab League has also written to the Council. Immediately drawing the anger of Addis Ababa.

This morning, the Ethiopians denounced "unwelcome interference" and accused Arab nations of always supporting in an "unconditional and unreserved" manner any Egyptian request on the dam. Ethiopia refers the parties back to negotiations under the auspices of the African Union. Discussions that are currently at a standstill.