Israel denies installing air defence system in Ethiopia

The Embassy of Israel in Cairo has denied reports that the Zionist state has provided an air defence system to Ethiopia to protect the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam being built on the River Nile, international news agencies have reported.

“There have been some rumours that Israeli air defence systems are being used to protect Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam,” the embassy said on its official Facebook page. “These are just rumours.”

Egypt and Ethiopia are at loggerheads over the dam. The government in Cairo is concerned that the dam will have a detrimental impact on Egypt’s share of water from the River Nile.

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The Israeli Embassy in the Egyptian capital added that Tel Aviv hopes the dispute over the dam will be resolved. According to Xinhua news agency, the Israelis have stressed that they maintain good relations with Ethiopia, but added that “they are standing at the same distance from both countries [Egypt and Ethiopia].”

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abby Ahmed, meanwhile, has said that “if obliged”, his country would be involved “in a war” for the sake of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.