Ethiopia's civil aviation authority has banned all flights over a controversial mega dam being built on a tributary of the River Nile, for security reasons. Ethiopia sees the $4.8bn (£3.2bn) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) as crucial for its economic growth. The head of Ethiopia's civil aviation authority told the BBC on Monday that it was common for the country to ban flights above major projects. Africa's biggest hydro-electric plantThe dam will produce electricity within the next 12 months, the Reuters news agency quotes President Sahle-Work Zewde as saying. Once complete, the Gerd will be the biggest hydro-electric plant in Africa and provide power to up to 65 million Ethiopians.

Source: Ethiopian News October 05, 2020 19:02 UTC