Ethiopia said Saturday, October 23 that it would "not yield to any aggression of any kind" after remarks by US President Donald Trump, believing that Egypt could destroy the Ethiopian mega-dam on the Nile.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office in a statement defended the Renaissance Dam (Gerd), set to become the largest in Africa, saying it has long worked to resolve issues related to this project with the Sudan and Egypt, located downstream.

"Nonetheless, one-off bellicose threats aimed at making Ethiopia succumb to abusive conditions still abound. These threats and affronts to Ethiopian sovereignty are ill-advised, unproductive, and in clear violation of international law," the statement said.

Abiy Ahmed's office does not directly mention Donald Trump, but publishes this statement the day after a statement by the US president supporting Egypt.

"This is a very dangerous situation, because Egypt will not be able to live this way," Donald Trump told reporters on Friday after the announcement of an agreement to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and Sudan.

 "They [The Egyptians] will eventually blow up the dam. I say it loud and clear: they will blow up this dam. They have to do something," the US president said.

A bone of contention between the two countries

Egypt, dependent on the waters of the Nile for about 97% of its irrigation and drinking water, considers the dam an "existential" threat.

For its part, Ethiopia sees it as an essential milestone in its electrification and development.

Washington's attempt to mediate the case failed this year, after Ethiopia accused Donald Trump, close to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, of favoring Egypt.

Negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan are now conducted under the mediation of the African Union.  

>> See also on France24.com: For its Renaissance dam on the Nile, "Ethiopia is ready for anything, absolutely anything"

The United States announced in early September the suspension of part of its financial assistance to Ethiopia after the latter unilaterally decided to fill the roadblock despite "the lack of progress" in negotiations with Egypt and the United States. Sudan.

With AFP

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