Ethiopia commissions Africa's largest dam, Egypt warns of crisis

Ethiopia has officially commissioned Africa's largest hydroelectric power plant. It is intended to supply millions of people with electricity, but is causing concern in Egypt.

With a capacity of 5,150 megawatts, it is one of the 20 largest hydroelectric power plants in the world.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the dam as a symbol of development and unity. He assured Egypt and Sudan that the project was not intended to harm them.

However, Egypt fears that the dam could reduce the flow of the Nile, a source on which around 90 percent of the country's drinking water depends.

Cairo accuses the project of violating historic water agreements and reserves the right to defend its interests. Despite the tensions, Egypt has not yet taken any direct action against Ethiopia.

For many Ethiopians, the dam has become a symbol of national pride – 91 percent of the costs were borne by the state and the population.

The project is intended to improve access to electricity – as recently as 2022, half of the population was not connected to the power grid.

However, rural regions continue to struggle with weak infrastructure, which is delaying equal access to energy.

(reuters, red)