As Tensions Rise Among China’s Partners Along the Blue Nile, Beijing’s Nowhere to be Found

General view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia. December 26, 2019. EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP

Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy confirmed last week that his country has filled the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) across the Blue Nile with an initial 4.9 billion cubic meters of water that he claims is needed for both power generation and domestic and agricultural use.

Egypt, and to a lesser extent Sudan, regard Ethiopia’s move as a provocation and a threat to their own ecosystems, which also depend on water from the Blue Nile river.

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by Eric Olander

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