Sileshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s Minister for Water, Irrigation and Electricity, said recently that the GERD has no significant impact on Egypt and Sudan.
He added that “he has provided about 150 documents that are related to the hydrological situation of the dam and other matters to the parties (Egypt and Sudan) in a transparent manner.”
Bekele said Egypt should understand that the Dam will reduce the amount of sediments and frequent flooding that occurs in the downstream countries.
Maybe the Government of Egypt doesn’t want Ethiopia to be in control of this huge dam because it will regulate water flow to Egypt, a country that is totally dependent on the Nile River.
It’s like owning an oil well where you can cap it or allow it to flow.
No matter how loud the Egyptians bark about losing water due to a 1959 treaty between Egypt and Sudan, they should realize the situation is beyond their control. Most of Egypt’s Nile waters originate from the Blue Nile located in Ethiopia and the latter was not a party to the 1959 agreements.
The 1959 treaty that gave Egypt 55 billion cubic meters of water per annum and Sudan 18 billion has now been replaced with Nile Basin agreements, involving many countries. The guarantees have now been removed and it is Ethiopia in the driver’s seat, not Egypt.
Egyptian President Abdel Al-Sisi said recently, “no one can touch Egypt’s share of Nile waters.” Nicely put Mr Sisi, but guarantees have been pushed aside, as Ethiopia has as much a right to build dams on the Blue Nile as your country did in 1960’s when Aswan, a high dam was constructed.
In the past Egyptians leaders have done everything in their capacity to dissuade rich Arab countries and powerful Western nations, to deny loans and investments to Ethiopia, in order to keep the country undeveloped, poor and enmeshed in conflicts.
Former Ethiopian Prime Minister once said in a 2010 Reuters interview, “Egypt had been trying to destabilize Ethiopia for decades by supporting its rebels and enemies. He added: I am not worried that the Egyptians will suddenly invade Ethiopia, nobody who has tried that has lived to tell the story.”
Mr. Sisi should understand that Egypt’s allegiance is to the Arab World and the Middle East, not Africa.
He can’t dominate both.
hubiejones.com 