Right now there’s a dam being built on the Nile that will let Ethiopia generate power and largely stop power interruptions for their people. The dam will be built entirely in Ethiopia, but depending on how fast they fill the dam and if there are drought conditions, Egypt will either be mildly inconvenienced or the country will starve.

Ethiopia is primarily poor farmers, so consistent electricity would let the country grow industry that would earn enough to purchase food on the international market when the next famine sweeps the country, so they want to fill the dam as fast as possible.

Who is “right” when it comes to how fast to let the dam fill?

If there’s a multi-year drought and the Answan dam dries because Ethiopia is interested in filling it’s dam, would Egypt by right starting a war to make sure it is not denied the water that has been it’s lifeblood for 5000 years? Is Ethiopia right in preventing it’s citizens from starving in the same multi-year drought by racing to fill the dam? A lot of times war isn’t easy and compromise is agreeing to let a certain number of poor people die on both sides.