Ethiopia banned all flights over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), currently established on the Blue Nile River, for security reasons, according to the head of its civil aviation authority.
“All flights have been banned to secure the dam," Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw, told Reuters on Monday.
Moreover, Ethiopia's Air Force Chief Yilma Merdasa said his country is fully prepared to defend the dam from any attack.
It is worth noting that Cairo and Khartoum are locked in a dispute with Addis Ababa over technical concerns due to the $4-billion-dam, as they failed to reach a deal on the operation and filling of GERD.
In the same context, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde stated today that her country would generate electricity from the massive dam this year.
"This year will be a year where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will start generating power with the two turbines," Zewde said.
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