ADDIS ABABA– Arabic-speaking media activists said that media enterprises involvement in dispatching of news and programs in Arabic would have a key role to promote Ethiopia’s stance in the fair utilization of the Nile waters to the people of Egypt and the Arab world at large.
The activists made the above remark yesterday in panel discussion hosted by The Ethiopian Press Agency in partnership with Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) under the motto “Fair and Mutual Benefit.”
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, one of the panelists and a renowned Arabic media personality, Ustaz Mohammed Al- Arusi said that the Ethiopia’s media’s engagement to make available accurate and timely information about the GERD to the Arab world could change the misperception some groups held in the country’s right to fair utilization of natural resources.
According to Mohammed, the inclusion of Arabic language in media enterprises and Arabic panel discussions would also have paramount importance to the Arab world understand Ethiopia’s motive to use GERD to ensure the benefits of the lower riparian countries. Ethiopia has also a desire to utilize the dam to open opportunity for the countries to work closely.
Through addressing the people of Egypt and the rest of the Arab world in the language they understand, the media could make them realize the interest of the Ethiopian government is to change the life of its citizens and transform the nation from agriculture to industry-led economy, he added.
Another panelist and researcher of Ethio-Sudanese relations, Hali Yahya said on his part that such panel discussion is instrumental in rectifying the misconceptions some countries held due to Egypt’s wrong appeal that the dam is being built to reduce its share from Nile waters.
“Broadly speaking, the Arab world has unsatisfactory information about the GERD and whether the country is pursing the right cause. Through exercising Arabic, we bring our right to development among the attention of key players in the Arab world.”
Stating that Ethiopia shares borders and communities with some members of the Arab League, Hali noted that much efforts are expected to actors in the media industry to cast the country in positive light among the Arab world and attract more cooperation in the GERD and other natural resources.
Both panelists acknowledged the effort of the Ethiopian Press Agency in hosting series of Arabic press conferences that would avail the Arab world get a comprehensive information about the grand dam and the committed leadership to change peoples’ livelihoods.
The Ethiopian Herald June 26, 2020
BY BILAL DERSO
