Ethiopia’s Abiy ‘tired of begging Egypt and Sudan’

Ethiopia will complete the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam despite objections by Egypt and Sudan, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.

The prime minister told parliament that delays were costly to the country.

When complete, the dam on the Nile River will be Africa's biggest hydroelectric power plant. Its construction began in 2011.

"We are tired of begging and the desire to develop does not mean we have intentions to harm other countries," the Ethiopian News Agency has quoted Mr Abiy as saying.

He said the dam is not intended to create any diplomatic rift with Egypt and Sudan.

Egypt wants Ethiopia not to fill the dam until an agreement is signed among the three countries. The three nations are to resume talks on the grand renaissance dam on Tuesday.

The dam is close to Ethiopia's border with Sudan. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 90% of its fresh water, views its as an existential threat.

In March, Ethiopia pulled out of US-mediated talks, accusing the US of overstepping the role of neutral observer by saying that the dam should not be completed without an agreement.

This article originally appeared in BBC News. [Photo: AFP]