ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian religious leaders called on Egypt to stand in support of the principle of sharing Nile River benefits among all riparian countries.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald recently, the religious leaders stated they came to understand that by constructing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Ethiopia by no means has the intention of harming the interests of the down riparian countries.
They also expressed their conviction that Ethiopia will always abide by international laws. As Ethiopia contributes more than 80 percent of the Nile, the country has a legal and natural right to utilize its waters to improve the lives of its citizens without harming the interests of its neighbors, they noted.
Mufti Hajji Omar Idris, President of Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (EIASC) said Ethiopians’ sole purpose in building GERD is alleviating poverty.
In this regard, he said, Egypt needs to cooperate with Ethiopia in the principle of a win-win approach and go for a shared utilization of the Nile waters.
“I believe that Ethiopia will utilize its water resources without breaching international law. We will utilize our resources for inclusive development,” the Mufti said. “Ethiopia doesn’t have any intention to harm the interests of Egypt.”
Pastor Tasdiku Abdo, President of Evangelical Church Fellowship of Ethiopia on his part said for long, Ethiopia’s stance is for fair and equal utilization of the Nile waters. “I don’t think this would ever change.”
“As far as my knowledge is concerned, we are also always committed to fair diplomatic engagement,” he said. “But I don’t think there is the same level of commitment from the other side.”
“As in the past, Nile will always continue to flow to Sudan and Egypt. But what the Egyptians need to understand is that they should make themselves ready for a win-win approach in the utilization of the Nile.”
GERD is going to benefit all riparian countries one way or another, Pastor Tasdiku said. That is why it is the right thing for Ethiopia to continue its effort to finalize the construction.
“As Ethiopians struggled in unison to maintain independence to posterity through the victory of Adwa, they are now joining hands and more than ever committed to finalizing the construction of GERD. The Dam is the hope of our future generations. We will do this without harming the interests of Egypt and Egypt needs to understand this.”
Besides, he said, GERD is not just a dam. It is a living symbol of this generation and Ethiopians’ unity. Hence completing the Dam is among the top priorities of this generation.
The Ethiopian Herald April 16/2020
BY MULATU BELACHEW
