Egypt and Ethiopia at crossroads over ownership of the Nile River

Ethiopia is currently building a dam over the Nile River, the Grand Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia says would be the largest by the hydroelectric power plant in Africa. The construction of the dam began in 2011 by the Blue Nile in the North of Ethiopia.

The cause for the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile has to do with the historical and political connection Egypt shares with the Nile. The Nile has been associated with the Egyptians for as long as history records, so far into Egyptian history, special ceremonies and occasions took place at the Nile River. It is still an important place for them.

Politically, the Nile was officially given to the Egyptians by the British government in 1929 when the British had military control over Egypt. The Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah-al-Sisi reached out to the United States government for help to settle this dispute because the United States has been a close ally with Egypt.

In Ethiopia’s defence, the dam is a necessary source of water for the people and is also a necessary factor for their economy’s development. The dam project over the Nile River is predicted to supply the country with about 6,000 megawatts of electricity in the future.

The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stated during his visit to Africa that the dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the River Nile would likely take months to resolve.