Ethiopia believes that the transboundary Abbay River is as important for the downstream countries, Sudan and Egypt, as it itself. For this reason, Ethiopia took into consideration all necessary precautions and steps and the international conventions on border rivers before launching the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam over the Nile.
However, Egypt is still not in a position to accept the construction of the dam having no significant impact on the flow. Consequently, it has been leaving no stone unturned to deter Ethiopia’s move to make the construction of a hydroelectric dam no better than delusion for a long time in history. They were making use of all possible mechanisms through the ages to prevent Ethiopia from putting up any grand project over the Nile River. For instance, Egypt was striving multiple times to avert Ethiopia’s far-reaching vision of embarking on a hydroelectric development project by impeding international monetary institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank from making any grand donations and loans for development projects to advance its economic and technological future.
Egypt has been making its level best efforts to impede the construction of any grand hydroelectric dam over the River Nile for centuries. To Egypt’s dismay, the people of Ethiopia have shown a strong sense of solidarity to embark on the Grand Renaissance Dam over the Nile which is drawing to completion after years.
The commencement of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile River in 2012 by the absolute funding of its people gravely shocked the government of Egypt. The Ethiopian people, who steadfastly stood firm and true to their future advancement, made a solemn promise to themselves to realize the commencement and completion of such a historic project regardless of Egypt’s aEgypt has never fallen asleep to obstruct the construction of the Renaissance Dam. However, the audacious hope of its heroic people for a better future and their sustainable resilience in the face of ferocious challenges made it unstoppable.
The Ethiopian people who victoriously subverted the heinous acts of the Italian aggressors in the Battle of Adwa in 1888 and 1928 fervently stood in imminent solidarity once again against its historic enemy-Egypt. Egypt is standing on the line of delusion and acquiring a short memory of the shameful defeat it entertained in the battle of Gundet. Ethiopians had achieved eternal and historic victory over Egyptian forces in 1876. The ideologically and politically failed government of Egypt is recently making every delusional effort to thwart Ethiopia’s stride for economic as well as technological advancement forgetting the mind-blowing defeat it incurred by the brave people of Ethiopia.
Like its historic act to abort Ethiopia’s development, Egypt is recently making all the visible and invisible effort to destabilize the Horn of Africa by deploying its troops in the failed States Somalia and South Sudan under the fake pretext of bolstering military cooperation of the two countries of the horn.
In response to Egypt’s act of incitement to the horn regions, Ethiopia is watching all the moves of its historic rival with utmost vigilance. Ethiopia will always hold and hoist a flag of peace to the region and even beyond. Our country’s incessant effort to bring sustainable security to the failed State of Somalia Republic and the priceless cost paid by its insurmountable troops in the region will always remain unforgettable by the peace-loving government of Ethiopia and its people.
Egypt’s act of incitement in the Horn of Africa will undoubtedly jeopardize the hosting regions and Egypt itself. The deployment of its troops in Somalia and South Sudan would rather intensify tension in the regions of the horn making the effort to the normalization of peace in the area unachievable. Egypt should note that its effort of fueling up the tension in the region would rather come up with a tragic consequence to itself.
The two conflict inciting countries; Egypt and Somalia would never stop Somaliland’s future vision of proclaiming autonomy. Somaliland’s objective of being a sovereign independent state did not emanate from Ethiopia in the first place. It rather emanates from the longstanding faction and maltreatment of its own people by the government of the failed State of Somalia. Consequently, Ethiopia cannot be held responsible for the political controversies that emerged between the Somaliland and Somalia Republic.
As a matter of fact, the landlocked Ethiopia is looking out viable doors to advance its economic opportunities of which using Somaliland’s port of Barbara is one of the options on the table. In this connection, the failed State Somalia which did not make any foreseeable effort to bridge its political constraints with Somaliland for over 30 years appeared to roadblock Ethiopia’s move for access to sea via Somaliland’s Barbara port.
Egypt’s claim to bring a more sustainable centralized government to the failed State of Somalia is illogical. The Ethiopian troops alongside the UN-led peacekeeping mission have made a costly relentless effort to bolster the centralization of Somalia’s government for over two decades. Therefore, Egypt’s purported claim of reinforcement to the government of Somalia is utterly groundless.
Hence, Egypt should never delve into the problems of other countries with the fabricated stance to bring security. Rather, Egypt should play a peaceful role by removing its troops instead of fueling up tension and escalation of conflicts alongside the terrorists and various armed groups in the region.
In conclusion, Egypt’s military presence in Somalia and South Sudan would not help its objectives to assist the Army of the countries and raise its combat efficiency; however, conversely, the effort would be more counterproductive for the hosting regional countries, namely Somalia, Sudan, and Egypt. The devised calculation of Egypt to flare up the region with tension and military confrontation in the horn would rather jeopardize its future relations instead of helping the regional stability.
BY WONDWOSSEN ALEMAYEHU
The Ethiopian Herald September 29/2024
