Ethiopia dams on Nile river stir conflict

[Barrett808]

Ethiopia is pressing ahead with plans to build large dams on the Nile as upstream African states put pressure on a reluctant Egypt to share the waters of the world's longest river more equitably.

The Ethiopian Electric Power Corp. has awarded the Italian construction firm Salini Costruttori a contract to build three giant dams intended to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

Addis Ababa, which has built other dams that have infuriated Cairo, stepped up its plans after Burundi joined a May 2010 treaty signed by upstream states Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda to pressure Egypt, along with Sudan, to accede to their demands for a bigger share of the Nile's water. ...

Ethiopia dams on Nile river stir conflict