By Hubie Jones
The Government of Egypt has made it explicitly clear: No landlock country should be involved in the security and governance of The Red Sea; that job will be handled by coastal states.
Meaning Ethiopia with 130 million citizens is on the outside looking in, as El Sisi is seen hobnobbing with comrades Al Burhan, Afwerki, and Hassan Sheikh making sure they see out the same eye. They know Egypt will supply weapons and finance if war with Ethiopia begins. Destabilizing Ethiopia is what El Sisi wants so he can walk in and sign Gerd Dam agreements favoring Egypt and Sudan.
Cairo convinced Trump to apply diplomatic pressure on Ethiopia to reach a deal with El Sisi on the GERD but Abiy held his ground and came out on top. So they have crossed all the T’s and dotted the I’s hoping he will not recognized Somaliland and give Abiy what he wants most, a naval base on the Red Sea. And that would be the ultimate sin in the eyes of Egypt and the Arab League, Christian Ethiopia and Israeli navies directing traffic on the Red Sea.
It’s no secret Abiy would love to have Assab Port back under Ethiopian control. They lost it in 1993 when Eritrea gained sovereignty leaving Ethiopia landlocked. Egypt was pulling for and assisting Eritrea get rid of the Derg Regime, by providing diplomatic, logistical and military training to Eritrean militias fighting against Ethiopian rule.
Egypt’s President Abdel El Sisi has been running a smear campaign for the longest to discredit Ethiopia so he can manage Blue Nile River which contributes 85% of the Nile. In his opinion Ahmed Abiy’s Government shouldn’t hold power over Pharoah.
El Sisi has also sought international diplomatic pressure on Ethiopia from the United Nations, Europe and African Unions. And he holds sway over the Arab League, telling them to jump and they ask how high. He says Egypt is requesting a legally binding agreement on the filling and operating the Dam. But he wants more than that: Egypt in control of the Nile and Red Sea is the ultimate prize.
Ethiopia has nine major rivers exiting into neighboring countries, including the Blue Nile where Egypt gets most of its fresh water to irrigate the desert, dig canals to supply water to new cities. And all that is good, it goes to show that Ethiopia is liberal when sending water to downstream countries.
Why is Cairo is complaining about Abiy putting more Dams on its own rivers for irrigation, electricity and development? The Gerd is helping the downstream countries more than hurting them. Ethiopia should not be taking orders from Egypt when it comes to the Nile and Red Sea.
El Sisi better pray Trump doesn’t recognize Somaliland.
hubiejones.com 