Ethiopia has begun filling the reservoirs of a controversial mega-dam on the Blue Nile, according to the country's water minister.
Egypt and Sudan had requested the Grand Renaissance Dam not be filled until an agreement is reached.
The dam has caused nearly a decade of contentious negotiations over concerns it could drastically reduce water supply to downstream countries.
Ethiopia has said the dam is crucial for its growth and it would begin filling it during this month's rainy season.
Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford lays out the politics behind the dam and Alex Gatopoulos has more on where the concerns lie for Egypt and Sudan.

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