Ethiopia and Egypt on Issues of the Grand Renaissance Dam

 

 

Ethiopia, the East African Nation, regardless of its natural resources was starving from good socioeconomic status and political instability for nearly quarter of a century. Its geopolitical location has made it prey to the surrounding evil actions of Islamist countries.  Its political instabilities have great back-ups from Egypt and other North African Islamist countries and the Middle East. Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Libya and others have backed rebel groups for the intention of weakening and destabilizing the nation for one or more interests of their own countries.

Let me leave their interests here and come to Egypt and Ethiopia on the Grand Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia. Egypt has been using different weapons to hinder development activities using the Blue Nile water. It has referring the colonial time treaties of 1929 and 1959 which was signed without the consent of Ethiopia, the source of 85% of Nile water. The fresh water emerging from the west and central highlands of Ethiopia may be the life of the Egyptians. But while they could make the desert green using the water and trying to deal water to other countries beyond its need, Ethiopian people are still under absolute poverty suffering from even fresh drinking water.

The concurrent issues between Ethiopia and Egypt cannot be ignored just as the utterances of some Egyptian political figures. Egypt, as it has been so far, is short of discussing the matter around the table and could not negotiate the matter peacefully. Ethiopia has shown remarkable interest to study the effect of the grand dam on the down-stream countries using independent panel of experts consisting of Ethiopians, Egyptians, Sudanese and other international experts. While the study was under progress, Egypt was using its experts in the group for spying and has made biased study.

The current upset of Egypt is the future economic status of Ethiopia, which would eventually lead to the veto power of the upper-stream major contributor of the Nile water because if this dam is successfully finished, Ethiopia’s economic status would be boosted. This will lead to other potential issue of the equitable use of the Nile water. The struggle of Egypt currently is to damp Ethiopia and its people that Nile water is untouchable and development projects on it is unthinkable.

The aggressive moves of Egypt are not far-reaching and the solution for Ethiopia is so simple. Now the analysis of the tensions of the two nations is under the mouths of many mass-medias and bloggers. Here I resort to give what the government of Ethiopia and all Ethiopians have to do pertaining the Grand Renaissance Dam. 

A.      The Government of Ethiopia

In the last few weeks, the approach of the government of Ethiopia is good except one smash of words. When one government is silent and abstains from comments, the other side is differed from having important next step information to some degree. Ethiopia in its last press conference through its Foreign Ministry, using day-dreaming is not diplomatic. Ethiopia insisting the construction of the dam cannot be halted even for second is a good approach. The international panel of experts has backed its stance on the dam. Under such circumstance, peaceful words of press conference gives some signal that what is going on underneath in Ethiopia’s mind. Whatever, the aggressive press conferences is given from Egypt, Ethiopia has to give steadily a very intelligent reply to Egypt’s stance.

The leaders in the government in different ranks should not abuse and get corrupt on the finance and service provisions of Ethiopia. Corruption may also lead to sell security information and other national confidential info to its threatening nations.

B.      The People of Ethiopia

Ethiopians have 3000 or more History of Independence. Ethiopia also has never invaded other nation. But when an external enemy comes into being, we have never surrendered our sovereignty in the History of man-kind.  This generation has also to be in consistent with the last generation in protecting its land from the threat of the foreigners that threaten its national interest. Each of the people in Ethiopia may not be served in the right manner in low and bad political circumstances in Ethiopia. Regardless of what the government threats each of us, the Abay Dam is our heat-beat that we wished to see true for we can witness the next generation  that we could once in our History restored our Historic rights over our own resources. Both the Diaspora and the people in Ethiopia has to get unified over this issue regardless of our political interests.  

C.      The Opposition Parties and Party Leaders

Political leaders and figures should work to promote national interest and the benefits of the people regardless of their political stances. Opposition is not always opposing but it is always siding to the benefit of the people in what-ever direction it come.  As critics are showing both the strength and the weaknesses, opposition is both backing good deeds and opposing the evils from the government side. In whatever metrics, there should not be any hesitation on the Grand Renaissance Dam planned by the government. The Opposition parties should stand on the side the government of Ethiopia and its people over the issue of Nile River. Our difference should be minimal on our foreign policies and national interests while we may have so much difference on internal issues. Our internal issue should not alter our current stances on promoting national interest.

D.      The Concurrent Religious Institutes and Leaders

The concurrent religious people and religious institutes should back the Grand Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia. There are some religious people “disappointed” by the government. Some of these groups try to deal with other foreign countries to stand against the national interests of the country. History should lesson them that the Coptic Christians in Egypt who are under bad treatment of the Muslim government of Egypt are always on side of the national interest of Egypt. Ethiopian religious people have to know that no other country can serve everything they and their descendants want.   

E.       Other Groups in Hostile Positions to the Government of Ethiopia

There are some political groups which are disappointed by the government and its policies over some of their political interests. They have resorted to use non-peaceful means and are in hostile position. Such groups should not abuse and stand against the national interest of Ethiopia and its people. Such paradox we have faced in some of our last History has greatly negatively impacted Ethiopia. The downplay of collaborating with other foreigners which are confronting with Ethiopia to preserve their national interests or to take the Ethiopian interest away has hindered the construction of some development projects on Abay (Blue Nile) for about a century.  So political figures, groups, leaders and others which are hostile with the government of Ethiopia should not stand against its national interest.  They should postpone their agenda and collaborate with the people of Ethiopia on restoring Ethiopia’s Right to use Nile River for development projects.   

F.       Egypt and Its Government

Egypt from its aggressive and hostile position can benefit nothing. It cannot win war against Ethiopia for so many reason that Egyptians cannot be aware of.  Ethiopian people in the modern History have got aware of the consequences of civil war. There is no room for rebellion. The Ethiopian land and its people cannot let rebellion to solve internal differences.

Egypt cannot use the neighboring countries to destabilize Ethiopia because these countries, except Eritrea, in one or the other way know that Ethiopia is more important than the self-centered Egypt. For the case of Eritrea, it will not let any war on Ethiopia because Eritrea on the current failure of its diplomacy to affiliate the world with its side and isolated diplomacy, if it try to make hostile acts against Ethiopia, the Ethiopian army make Asmara to collapse once for lasting the Regime of Isayas Afeworki.  They will not be fooled on confronting Ethiopia.

So Egypt will win its national interest if it bring its concern on table and discuss the matter with Ethiopia. The Grand Renaissance Dam cannot be stopped but Egypt can be made beneficiary from the dam. Ethiopia and Egypt can plan on how preserve the Dam from aggravating the Nile basin Ecosystem with collaborating development plans. The future of Egypt depends on its peaceful relation with Ethiopia. The short-lived solution using hostile and aggressive move does not avoid its national concerns. Its hostile approach leaves itself under an all time alarm of security issue. The peaceful negotiation is always inevitable.