· US President Trump’s recent statement predicting that Egypt would “blow up” the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam currently under construction has invited severe criticism from Ethiopian authorities.
· The statement was made by Trump during a ceremony marking normalizing relations between Israel and Sudan.
US President Trump’s recent statement predicting that Egypt would “blow up” the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam currently under construction has invited severe criticism from Ethiopian authorities. According to the Foreign Ministry of Ethiopia, Ethiopia has demanded an explanation from US government alleging that the US President’s statement amounts to inciting war between Ethiopia and Egypt. US Ambassador Mike Raynor was summoned by the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew, according to a statement from the ministry.
The statement was made by Trump during a ceremony marking normalizing relations between Israel and Sudan. Sudan is a stakeholder in the new dam being built just 15 km (9 miles) east of Ethiopia’s border with Sudan.
The statement lamented that such incitement of war between Ethiopia and Egypt from a sitting US president was not in line with the long-standing partnership and strategic alliance between Ethiopia and the United States and unacceptable in international law governing interstate relations.Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn responded on Twitter to the statement calling it a reckless conversation of the President of US with Sudanese PM without any clue on what he is talking about.
It may be recalled that the US attempts to broker a deal to resolve the issues surrounding the dam earlier this year, failed after Ethiopia accused the Trump administration of favoring Egypt. Following the failure of talks, the US State Department stated last month that it was suspending a portion of its financial aid of approximately $264 million to Ethiopia due to a lack of progress of talks.
