By ELIAS MESERET, Associated PressADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia's leader has rejected arbitration by the World Bank on a disagreement with Egypt over the hydroelectric dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River. Sudan is also part of the negotiations because the Nile flows through it on the way to Egypt. "Ethiopia will not accept Egypt's request to include the World Bank in the tripartite technical committee's talks on the dam," Desalegn told the state run Ethiopian News Agency after visiting Egypt on Friday where he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Egypt's suggestion came amid a 10-month impasse over technical negotiations for the dam, which will be Africa's biggest hydro-electric plant. Egyptian officials have called the World Bank "neutral and decisive" and said the organization could facilitate negotiations "devoid of political interpretation and manipulation."

Source: Ethiopian News January 21, 2018 15:45 UTC