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Egypt wants to blow up Ethiopia’s biggest dam, says Trump
The GERD
US President Donald Trump has hinted that Egypt wants to blow up the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) because of Ethiopia’s refusal to accept a deal brokered by the US that guaranteed Egyptian rights over the use of the river.
A video showing Trump speaking on phone to the Sudanese prime minister, on Friday, says Egypt will not tolerate the GERD to operate.
The hydroelectric dam, which Ethiopia has been building since 2010 on the Blue Nile, has caused animosity with Egypt, which is concerned about the control of water flow.
But Ethiopia insists it has the right to build a dam in its territory to provide power to millions of poor people in the country.
The US president accused Ethiopia of breaking a deal he had worked on to resolve the dispute and said he has since cut off millions of dollars in aid to Addis Ababa.
“You can’t blame Egypt for being a little bit upset,” Trump said on a call with the Sudanese and Israeli leaders celebrating their diplomatic breakthrough.
He then appeared to suggest violence could ensue.
“It’s a very dangerous situation because Egypt is not going to be able to live that way,” the president said. “They are going to end up blowing up that dam … they will blow up that dam.”
Ethiopia wants the dam to expand its power exports, whereas Egypt relies almost exclusively on the Nile’s waters for farming, industry and domestic use.
In August 2020, Ethiopia started to fill the GERD something that sparked panic in the region.
Story by DPA
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