Ethiopia's Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister warned Tuesday that if there's a need to go to war over a dam project disputed with Egypt his country could muster millions of people, but he said only negotiation can resolve the current deadlock.Egypt's government said it was "shocked" by the remarks.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke during a parliament question-and-answer session, his most prominent public appearance since winning the Nobel on October 11.
On Wednesday he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi are expected to meet on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in the Russian city of Sochi.
Abiy also defended his Nobel win after some have debated whether he deserved it: "Some individuals are finding it hard to accept about the Nobel Peace Prize. It's already given to Abiy, and it won't be taken away from him. That's it! This is a dead issue! Now our focus should be on how to motivate other youths to win the prize. People who continue to dwell on this are wasting their time."
"Some say things about use of force (by Egypt). It should be underlined that no force could stop Ethiopia from building a dam," Ethiopia's prime minister said. "If there is a need to go to war, we could get millions readied. If some could fire a missile, others could use bombs. But that's not in the best interest of all of us."
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