Share

Ethiopia says Blue Nile Dam engineer's death a suicide

The head of Ethiopia's controversial project damming waters of the Blue Nile committed suicide, state media reported on Friday.

The body of Simegnew Bekele, project manager and public face of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, was found in a parked car in the capital Addis Ababa's in July with a gunshot wound to the head.

"His death was a suicide" from a "contact shoot", state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported, citing an unnamed police official.

The investigation into his death is continuing, Fana added.

Ethiopians reacted with dismay to the death of Simegnew, whose body was found in a parked car in the capital's central Meskel Square.

At his funeral, clashes broke out between police and bystanders who tried to push past their lines.

The $4bn dam, being built near the country's western border with Sudan, will be Africa's largest when completed, producing 6 000 megawatts - the rough equivalent of six large nuclear reactors.

But the scheme faces opposition from Egypt, which is crucially dependent on the Nile and worries that downstream flows could be affected.

The Blue and the White Nile converge in Sudan's capital Khartoum and from there run north, crossing Egypt before emptying in the Mediterranean.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 399 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 563 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE