● The Water filling is like reaping their harvest to Ethiopians: Experts
The government of Ethiopia has announced that the water filling task of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is to see the light of day next month of July, this year. Following this, GERD negotiation and technical experts’ team members said that it would have a significant contribution to the Ethiopian people.
Bekele Berhanu (PhD), GERD Technical Team Member told EPA’s journalists that the development of the dam showcases the perseverance and stamina of the workers in the site. This time around the Ethiopian people will foretaste the results of their developmental thrust.
The analogy is like a farmer eager to collect his/her harvests after he has harvested, cultivated and replenished. The same is true for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to the Ethiopia people.
GERD will create additional capacity for diplomacy, he said. He added that the initial reservoir will generate electricity for the two turbines, which will provide Ethiopians with funds to spur and bolster the construction of the dam.
Even though Egypt is stalking to pressurize Ethiopia through the UN Security Council, and elsewhere, it could remotely affect the process of filling the dam.
He further said that there are no upper riparian countries that have consulted lower riparian countries in a basin of a river, except Ethiopia, adding that all the cross-country and upper-riparian countries have excepted the downstream countries, not at their own discretion. For instance, the United States, China, and Turkey have taken the same approach. On the contrary, it is only the Egyptians who refuse to negotiate as part of the lower reaches of the river.
Ethiopia has full rights to utilize Nile water; he stated Egypt is well aware that the focus of the Ethiopian government while constructing GERD is on economic development. He said Ethiopia needs to strengthen its relations with kindred souls aiming at common growth
He added that the Dam is a source of light for the people of Ethiopia and that all of us need to act with the same mindset and to extend support to successfully complete the dam.
In related news, Chairperson of the National Panel of Expert, Engineer Gideon Asfaw, on his part said that Ethiopia has first announced its plan of filling the Dam the coming July to the negotiating countries and the international community. Agreement is expected to be carried out alongside the construction, he said.
“The construction of the dam and the water filling task will be handled according to international law, and despite the diplomatic pressure, international organizations have no written plans. Ethiopia will continue to build and fill the dam,” he said.
He pointed out that Ethiopia has always been pursuing the peace and negotiation option: He said the Renaissance Dam is being supported by the 110 million people project, as well as other African and international nations that believe in fairness.
Six countries have signed the Cooperation Framework for Nile Basin countries; out of which the four countries have ratified it by their House of Peoples’ Representatives; If two more countries ratify it, Engineer Gideon says it will find place in the African Union as international law; He said the Nile Basin will be governed by the Cooperation Framework Agreement (CFA) and that the diplomatic efforts to bring the sanctions through Ethiopia and the two countries are expected to be ratified by the House of Peoples’ Representatives.
BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
