The historical Egypt, which plays a significant role in Africa and the Middle East, claims to have a stake since antiquity in connection with the Nile River. Ethiopia’s biggest countrywide project, the Renaissance Dam, which is estimated to generate over 5500 MW after completion, is one of the eye-opening power development projects in Ethiopia, outlaying spectacular hope for countries in the Horn and beyond.
The Nile River, considered the significant source of life for Egypt, of which over 80% of the water comes from the land of Ethiopia, has been a point of controversy for a long time past. Consequently, both Ethiopia and Egypt claim to possess the greatest stake over such a historic river since thousands of years ago.
Ethiopia’s embarking on a power development project over the Nile River (Abay River) gave Egypt lasting pain, thereby indirectly inflicting significant harm on our country in various ways. Recently, Egypt has been trying to destabilize the regional security of the Horn through deploying thousands of troops in Somalia, mainly for Ethiopia’s economic dialogue with the broken-away region of Somalia: the de facto state of Somaliland. Egypt and Somalia are fostering friendship but harboring hostile relationships with Ethiopia.
Egypt makes use of various strategies to deter Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam development project since the launch of the project in 2012. The Ethiopian government constantly reiterated to the officials of the downstream countries, namely, Sudan and Egypt that the hydroelectric power project will have no significant impact on the flow of the water share. However, Egypt is still reluctant to accept such a vital fact. Consequently, Egypt makes every stone unturned to destabilize the internal security of the Horn by supporting various armed groups against the Ethiopian government. For instance, Egypt is incessantly working to destabilize the security of Ethiopia by inciting some kind of internal conflict in the country.
The other strategy Egypt strives to use against Ethiopia is using proxies to fight against Ethiopia. The failed State Somalia Republic which is vehemently against Ethiopia in connection with Somaliland is looking for ways to impede Ethiopia’s move to develop and make use of the port of Berbera. Egypt, which is always in a conspiracy to stir conflict against Ethiopia, is supporting the defence force of Somalia with various artilleries and military equipment. What’s more, it recently deployed over 10,000 of its soldiers on the Somalia border near Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s government has overtly denounced Egypt’s and Somalia’s acts of inciting war and destabilizing the Horn.
The State of Somaliland has also outrightly denounced Egypt for the deployment of its troops in Somalia. Somaliland underscored that it would never put up with such an outrageous act of Egypt to flare up conflict in the region. Somaliland also reiterated that it will use every possible mechanism to defend itself.
Egypt’s act of raging conflict in the Horn is not a recent phenomenon. It had used various secretive devices to prevent Ethiopia from making any development project over the river Nile. The British colonial rule in Egypt signed a treacherous contractual agreement with the Emperor of Ethiopia not to block the natural flow of the river. They have been deterring the government of Ethiopia not to conducting any kind of hydroelectric power development over the river Nile.
However, Ethiopia started the development of hydroelectric power projects over the river Nile regardless of Egypt’s daunting protest. The grand Ethiopia’s dam project over the Nile is recently on the brink of its completion ready to become a spectacular source of hope to spur the country forward with economic, social and technological advancement.
The Renaissance Dam over the Nile River would facilitate the country’s vision to ensure food security and progress the development which is a viable beacon of hope to its population who are living under stark economic challenges. Such a grand hydroelectric development project would also become fundamental in extending interconnectivity between regional countries of the Horn paving the way for economic integration in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopia has a prime intent of expanding its development projects over the dam without causing any harm to the downstream countries. Since Ethiopia is the sole source of the Nile River, it has an inalienable right to use the river for its economic progress. As a matter of fact, the country is pursuing its development project with prudent observation of the conventions on international rivers.
However, Egypt has made numerous attempts to impede the development of the Renaissance dam in the past until the present time. It has made a number of futile attempts to abort the construction of the dam over the Nile. Its relentless effort to destabilize the security of Ethiopia through its proxies like the failed State Somalia is a case in point.
Ethiopia, in return, had never been and will never be the cause of instability for any of the countries in the world owing to its selfish desire. It has been assisting its neighbouring countries in various ways since historical times. The fight against the terrorist Alshabab in Somalia is a recent phenomenon. Ethiopia has made significant assistance to the Somalia Republic which had been torn apart as a result of the extremist armed groups for over three decades. Ethiopia has made various spectacular efforts to bolster the centralization of the government of Somalia which had been debilitated from the armed groups.
Ethiopia will never stop being a source of assistance to its neighbouring countries despite the hostile reactions it is receiving.
The besetting contention between the broken-away region Somaliland and Somalia should be resolved through persistent political dialogue. An amenable solution for sustainable peace and security between the two regions could only be outlayed substantially by the contending parties.
Therefore, Ethiopia has the inalienable and unstoppable right to utilize its resources for the economic advancement of its people without inflicting any significant harm on the parties which are rather beneficiaries of the development in one way or another.
Wondwossen Alemayehu is a former university lecturer and currently working for the education office. He can be reached at: wondwossen.a.haile@ gmail.com
BY WONDWOSSEN ALEMAYEHU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2024
