The US State Department has declined to refute a report the Trump administration plans to withhold some foreign assistance to Ethiopia as a punitive measure for its rejection of the White House’s mediation in the Nile river dam dispute with Egypt and Sudan. The move will be seen in Ethiopia as a definite show of support for its rivals in the dispute, in particular Egypt. Egypt is particularly vocal about its concerns with the Renaissance dam, would seriously deplete its Nile water supply, vital for irrigation of crops by Egyptian farmers. Egypt went as far as taking up its case with the United Nations Security Council to prevent Ethiopia from commencing the filling stage of the dam. In clear defiance of the US and Egypt, Ethiopia went ahead with the filling as scheduled, reaching its first year filling target within weeks, reportedly facilitated with the good rains.

Source: Ethiopian News August 29, 2020 02:26 UTC