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19 Africa telegraph 25 October - 09 November 2020

Ethiopia prime minister angry after North Africa News

Trump suggests Egypt may ‘blow up’

the dam at the Nile By Annika Amahle

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Ethiopia’s “I had a deal done, and then they broke try’s sovereignty is unparalleled and an on the rules of filling and operating the
prime minister denounced the “belliger- the deal. They can’t do that. So the deal ambition and a well-articulated plan for GERD have been fruitless, including
ent threats” over the hydropower dam was done. And it’s a very dangerous sit- prosperity.” those hosted by Washington and recent-
the country has built on the Blue Nile uation because Egypt can’t be able to ly by the African Union.
river, less than 24 hours after President live that way, they will end up blowing the Over the past few years, tripartite talks
Donald Trump said Egypt could “blow up” dam. And I said it! I said it loud and clear!
the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. They blow up that dam,” Trump said in
a call to Sudan and Israel leaders on a
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said his day when talks of restoration of relations
country “will not cave in to aggressions of of the African and Middle East countries
any kind” after President Donald Trump was confirmed.
suggested Egypt could destroy the con-
troversial dam, which has been at the Ethiopia started building the GERD in
centre of a long-running dispute between 2011. Egypt is concerned that the dam
Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan. might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter
annual share of Nile water. Also, Sudan
The dam is a resource that could radical- has recently been raising similar con-
ly boost Ethiopia’s economy and improve cerns over the dam.
livelihoods, but will also connect Kenya,
Djibouti, and South Sudan with power. Without naming Trump or the United
States, Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy
The $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renais- Ahmed’s office issued a blunt statement
sance Dam is a source of national pride, on Saturday, which said the East African
aimed at pulling millions of people out of nation would “not cave in to aggressions
poverty, but it has entangled neighbour- of any kind.”
ing African nations, Egypt and Sudan,
which also rely on the river. “These threats and affronts to Ethiopian
sovereignty are misguided, unproduc-
President Trump blamed Ethiopia for ig- tive, and clear violations of international
noring a deal he had struck with Egypt, law,” the statement said.
and voiced his concern about the failed
talks on the building of the Grand Ethio- It added, “As a developing nation, Ethi-
pian Renaissance Dam (GERD), saying opia may be confronted with poverty but
he believes Egypt could launch an attack are rich with history, patriotic citizens
against it. whose commitment to defend their coun- Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

The construction work is in progress at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, that Donald suggests Egypt may ‘blow up’