Egypt and Sudan outraged by Ethiopia’s project
As report started to cause a stirt that Ethiopia has started to divert the flow of the Blue Nile river to construct a enormous dam for energy purposes, Egypt and Sudan seem ‘not happy’ with the move by the African country.
Reports say Ethiopia has announced that diverting the flow at the site would provide hydroelectricity not only for Ethiopia but also for its neighbours.
However, Egypt and Sudan were outraged and have objected to the construction. Both countries have expressed concern with the project as well earlier this week.
Both countries affirmed that the construction violates a colonial-era agreement giving Egypt more that half of the Nile River waters.
However, Ethiopia shrugged off complaints of both countries, saying the diversion project does not violate the 1959 agreement.
What is the U.S. position on Ethiopia’s recent move to divert the course of the Blue Nile?
The US State Department has issued statement commending the current efforts of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to jointly examine the downstream impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
The United States urges the countries to continue working together to minimize negative downstream impacts and work together to jointly develop the Blue Nile basin for the benefit of all the people of the region.
The Blue Nile originates high in the mountains of Ethiopia. Reports indicate that 84 percent of the water from the world’s longest river comes in Ethiopia. The Blue Nile is one of two main tributaries of the river and the White Nile flowing through Sudan, is the other.
