Ethiopian military leader calls out Egypt over Nile dam dispute
Ethiopia's deputy army chief said his country can "conduct war" as talks continue.
An Ethiopian military leader issued a warning to Egypt today over the Nile river dam dispute involving the two African countries.
The country’s deputy army chief told state media that Egypt should be aware of Ethiopia’s military capabilities as Egypt continues to oppose Ethiopia’s plan to start filling the hydroelectric dam next month.
“Egyptians and the rest of the world know too well how we conduct war whenever it comes,” said Gen. Birhanu Jula, as reported by The Associated Press.
Ethiopia began building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in 2011. It will serve as a hydroelectric power source when completed. The dam is on the Blue Nile River in northwest Ethiopia near the border with Sudan. A major tributary of the Nile, the Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Sudan; the Nile then flows into Egypt. Egyptian officials say they believe an unrestricted filling of the dam will reduce the Nile’s water levels to an extent that endangers the country’s water and food security.
