Sunday, April 07, 2013

Saudi Arabia distances itself from criticism of Ethiopian dam

(April 5, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA))--The Saudi Arabia government has made an official statement rebuffing recent remarks made by the kingdom’s deputy defense minister against the construction Ethiopia’s Grand renaissance dam.

Speaking at a session of the Arab Water Council held in Cairo late in February, Khalid Bin Sultan, accused the Horn of Africa nation of posing a national security threat to Sudan and Egypt by building the massive $4.8 billion hydro power dam, which is being built along the Blue Nile River near the Sudanese border.

The Saudi deputy defense minister then blasted Ethiopia’s power plant project saying it was intended “for political plotting rather than for economic gain and constitutes a threat to Egyptian and Sudanese national security". The Ethiopian government reacted fiercely over the statements and summoned the Saudi Ambassador to Ethiopia seeking for an official explanation from the remarks.

Addis Ababa further said the hostile statements by the Saudi official could also negatively affect the existing diplomatic ties between Arabs and other Nile basin countries. Read more from Sudan Tribune »

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