CAIRO: The Ethiopian Government announced plans to build a hydroelectric power dam along the Blue Nile River, in defiance of objections from Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia's Minister of Water and Energy, Alemayehu Tegenu, said Wednesday the dam will benefit Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, adding that the dam, which is set to be built in western Ethiopia near the Sudan border, will provide power at competitive rates to other countries and will offer irrigation opportunities. The Ethiopian Minister was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the dam will cost U.S. $5 million and could be done without foreign aid. Egypt has repeatedly rejected any deals or projects that would reduce its share of the Nile Water. On March 1, Burundi became the sixth African country to sign the Entebbe Agreement calling for Nile Basin countries to modify the old pact and re-allocate the shares of water from the Nile River. Burundi's step, which comes at a tough period for Egypt, paved the way for the agreement to be ratified. By the end of last year, before the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Burundi vowed not to act in any manner that harmed Egypt's interests. The Initiative was signed last year by Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. Congo promised to sign the initiative but has not so far. Egypt receives most of the Nile's water share under a treaty that dates back to 1929, but it might lose its power and some of its share if these countries ratify the new Agreement, and Egypt would lose it is power to veto any projects proposed by other countries such as the construction of dams that could affect Egypt's share of water. BM
