The engineer charged with the supervision of a $4 billion dam known as the Grand Renaissance Dam to be built on the Nile river has been found dead in his car.
The state-run Fana Broadcasting Corporation has confirmed reports of his death but did not disclose the cause.
”Engineer Simegnew Bekele was found dead in his car this morning in Meskel Square. His body has been taken to hospital for an autopsy” says the state media, referencing a part of the capital city where his body was found.
The mega-dam project was being managed by Simegnew, a key infrastructural development in the country’s bid to become a major exporter of power on the African continent. Some $12 billion has been set aside for the hydroelectricity power sector, harnessing the rivers for the next few decades.
Negotiation talks with Egypt and Sudan have been in a stalemate. Both nations are heavily depended on the Nile River for their water source and see the Grand Renaissance Dam as a threat to their water security. The gridlock has been ongoing for months.
Last month, leaders of Ethiopia and Egypt promised to work out their differences, reaching a compromise peacefully. An agreement was also being made to set up an infrastructure fund which includes Sudan while taking the necessary steps to create investment opportunities in all three countries.
Neba Benson,
BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst
