Eight years have already elapsed since Ethiopia launched its flagship perhaps game changer project, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The construction of the dam on the Nile River aims to generate hydroelectric power and boost up its economic growth as the demand for electricity surges.
For a country that was synonyms with poverty, the flagship project is more than a concrete dam. It is about connecting millions of people to the power grid and supplying industries with the much-needed electricity.
In fact, it proves even a late decision for a country that contributes over 85 percent of the Nile water share to tap the natural resource. That is at least what international water laws advocate as they grant the country right to develop its resources without inflicting significant harm to other countries. The country continues to stick its inclusive approach by maintaining positions in trilateral talks.
Though, the Dam is a sovereign project which aims to connect the staggering number of population who still remain off the grid, the country out of self-motivation approached the downstream countries to discuss matters regarding the Dam technicality. This led to tripartite discussion among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Subsequent to the announcement, a number of tripartite meetings have been taken place among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
The trilateral discussions have been going on smoothly for over eight years until Egypt started to try derailing the talks by coming up with new proposals. and tarnish the true sense of the dam. There have been some confrontational statements from Egyptian side lately. Cairo’s attempt to give political fig leaf to the technical issue of Dam is in any way unhelpful.
Egypt after those years of discussion is trying to bring politicians to the purely technical issue which intensified recently. Surprisingly enough, Ethiopia which is the owner of the project is keeping moderate position and has not faltered when it comes to cooperation.
The Dam jurisdiction relies 100 percent on Ethiopians, it does not mean the country can hurt the interest of the country. Amid Egypt’s negative rhetoric, Ethiopia renewed its commitment with regard to GERD cooperation. This was reaffirmed by Ethiopian President SahleWork Zewedie.
While addressing the general debate of the 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the President stated that cooperation in Nile basin is not an option. Rather it is a matter of necessity and an opportunity not only to Ethiopia but also to the downstream countries. Thus, the Dam should never be an object of competition and mistrust, but an opportunity for mutual benefit and gain for countries of the region.
The Government of Ethiopia is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile mainly to generate hydroelectric power, she said.
Nearly, 65 million Ethiopians do not have access to electricity, she said. “The utilization of the Nile waters offers a unique opportunity for our trans-boundary cooperation between the sisterly countries of the region.
GERD should never be an object of competition and mistrust.” Ethiopia strongly believes that the utilization of the Nile River shall be based on the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of natural resources causing no significant harm, she noted.
Given its socioeconomic significance to Ethiopia and downstream countries, GERD should be a means for cooperation not confrontation. And if differences arise, talks are the only way forward to resolve them. And Ethiopia remains unflinching towards discussion and cooperation.
The Ethiopian Herald October 2, 2019
