(Assistant Professor & Director of International Affairs Office, Jimma University)
Ethiopia is the major source of Nile but unable to use a river to which it contributes significant portion of the water. Efforts have been well underway for more than two decades now to achieve socio-economic development and uplift its people from abject poverty. The nation is yet to give light to 65 percent of its population and its need for energy to the emerging industrial economy is far from being fulfilled. This makes Nile a very strategic resource and its proper utilization a matter of grave necessity than choice.
Ethiopia as always is committed to fair and equitable utilization of the Nile waters causing no significant harm to its neighbors and the lower riparian states in the spirit of good faith and brotherhood. This has been also testified by its continued efforts to engage in multilateral diplomatic engagements with Egypt and Sudan, which it has always considered highly valued partners and in need of utilizing the waters from the Nile as equally needed by Ethiopia.
Ethiopia, even though is the single most important contributor of the waters of the Nile River with all the tributaries originating from its mountains, it has never wanted to put the other nations at its mercy and under its knees. If that was the case, it would have redirected the tributaries for irrigation
agriculture without necessarily spending huge amount of resources but with greater effect in minimizing the water shares of the other nations. However, this does not mean that it should get permission from these nations to make fair and equitable use of the water. It is pretty well understandable that Ethiopia has been too much too late to initiate a meaningful project of utmost important to its economy but that does not mean it can never ever claim its rights on its own resources. “Better late than never” is a nice adage that should flush in to the mind and hearts of the lower riparian states as nothing remains constant and the right time to claims one’s unused right is just now.
History has never stagnated and has always been in the making to the eminent reality of challenging the status quo. If we go to 60 years back, most African nations were only under the whim and struggles of detaching their people from the yoke of colonialism. They fought colonialism to avert its dismal effect of unjustness and inequality. It not only sustains inequality but up hold it as a foundational principle to sustain exploitation and extraction in favor of the oppressors. That is why we Ethiopian resolutely fought against it and everything that comes with colonialism is an imposition and existential threat to equality and human dignity. Almost all the colonial agreements on the Nile River were either designed to entirely block upper riparian states from conducting any construction work that affects the natural flow of the river or to unilaterally recognize the highly disputed and groundless “historical and natural rights” claims of Egypt. Alas, this has already served the interest of the then colonialists but calling for an immediate revision to serve current needs.
We tell to Egypt that we firmly stand against any colonial motivated, unjust and exclusionary agreements. We advise Egypt in the spirit of neighborliness and as nations who share common fate naturally located on the same river course from one end to the other, to stand and walk on the right path and make the right choice at this important juncture in history.
We announce it to the international community that we have unwavering and straightforward determination to finish what we have started rooting our decision deep in to the highly valued principles of justice and equality. That is what we should cherish, as far as we fathom, as nations of humanity and not ready to celebrate the lopsided and intentionally flawed colonial era agreements.
No one should be at the brink of losing temper and beating the drums of war in the face of the world. In the 21st century, war is the most destructive and uncivilized alternative to settle differences among nations. We are living in the era of multilateral diplomacy and when nations have more than ever realized the values of cooperation and peaceful settlement of disputes. Taking obstinate and intransigent position on a negotiation table, as done by Egypt, sticking to old habits of “all mine and nothing for you” principle incites a further stalemate and resort to undesired paths. Focusing on giving to take approach to negotiation, trusting each other and confidence building will lead to agreed
settlement and further stronger cooperation among the nations involved in the process.
But if in the unlikely event of Egypt finding itself on the wrong path of history by declaring war and pulling the first trigger against Ethiopia, “No one lived to tell the story” would only be our message. It can find itself in an equally or even much worse destructive situation than it could contemplate. First and for most, the same 86 percent of the Nile water will continue to flow from the beautiful Ethiopian mountains even after the misjudged and miscalculated declaration of war on Ethiopia. We do not know what force in the Earth could stop us from using it in many other ways.
On the other hand, Ethiopians are very much less known in the path of history for taking aggressive stance against other nations but were rarely found on the losing side if encroached up on by others. We Ethiopians have every right to defend our rights peacefully in the first place but alternatively through other means if we are pushed to do so. GERD is our Dam and no one can stop us from filling and utilizing it so long as we maintained and respected the rights of other needy nations. So please Egypt, find yourself on the very right path in history, the path of equality, peace, cooperation, trust and brotherhood. Leaving condescending character on others, especially on Ethiopia, would be of greater help to achieve such sacred humanly values.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald Jun 24,2020
BY: ERMYAS ADMASU
