Ustaz Mohamed Al-Arusi is the forerunner of media campaign and political activism to expose Egyptian government’s attempt to utilize the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a political tool and he frequently appeared in global Arabic media outlets including Al-Jazeera, RT Arabic, CGTN Arabic and others to promote Ethiopia’s just stand in the fair utilization of Nile waters to the Arabicspeaking community across the globe. Mohammed, who is an established journalist and political analyst in the Arabic language, said that Egyptian government has been hugely engaged in distorting the reality and employing the dam as a framing tactic to divert the public attention from internal political turmoil. The Egyptian government uses the GERD to lessen the pressure that has been triggered due to maladministration, failure to give prompt response to public grievances, unemployment and other causes.
Last Thursday he participated in panel discussion hosted by The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) in collaboration with Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam under the motto “Fair and Mutual Benefit.”
Noting that Egypt’s voice has become louder and its efforts to mobilize the Arab world against the Dam has also been intensified since Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s assuming of public power and his subsequent success in directing the construction of the GERD, the political activist stated that Ethiopia’s media are largely deprived of Arabic instrument to counter this Egypt’s stiff ideological and media campaign.
Mohammed’s and other citizens have been made heroic deeds to aware the people of Egypt and the Arab world that Ethiopia’s government decision to construct the GERD is not emanated from reducing Egypt’s share from Nile waters. The media campaign and activism are centered on telling the Arabs that Ethiopia builds the dam to change the reality that over 60 percent of its population has no access to electricity. On contrary, over 98 percent the population of Egypt has access to electric power.
He said: “I have a message to the people of Egypt that Ethiopia needs the GERD to its own development and for the transformation of peoples’ livelihoods and the country has no intention to harm their share from Nile waters.” GERD is being built in such a way to ensure the mutual benefits of lower riparian countries and Ethiopia wants it to be the source of cooperation among the East and North African countries.
Highlighting the fact that Ethiopia shares borders and communities with members of the Arab League, the activist stressed that absence of strong Arabic media has paid the country a huge price and the situation should be changed for better. “Many Egyptians have not realized that Ethiopia has Arabic-speaking communities (tough we have in Benishangul State and) all media enterprises need to play their role to provide the timely and accurate information about the GERD to Egyptians in the language they understand.”
Egypt’s attempt to table the GERD issue in Arab League and the UNSC is not a viable option and the only way to solve difference is closely working with the government of Ethiopia and in seeking African solution to African problem.
Throughout history, Egyptian pharaohs and modern leaders have misled their people in the legendary ‘Egypt is the gift of the Nile’ narrative to justify their selfish motive to use Nile waters alone and claimed their country as perish and die if Ethiopia attempt to construct any dam. Even today, Egyptian leaders have kept their trademark stubbornness and claimed Ethiopia to be abided by colonial agreements which it did not ratify.
Another panelist in EPA’s discussion forum and a well-known writer in the Ethio- Sudanese relations in Arabic, Hali Yahya, shared what was echoed by Mohamed. According to him, forging closer partnership with members of the Arab League has paramount importance to Ethiopia to aware the Arabs the former’s right to use its share from Nile waters and to expose Egypt’s deceits thereby helping them to make informed position in the issue.
Hali expressed his belief that EPA is encouraged to host the press conference for the second time anticipating the impact the discussion would have to promote Ethiopia’s just cause and expose Egypt’s lies thereby bringing a new dynamic on the GERD Tripartite Talk among Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan. The panel discussion availed Ethiopian and Sudanese political activists and writers the opportunity to reflect their views on the ongoing GERD Talks and how could effectively encounter Egyptian government’s destructive activities and campaigns against Ethiopia through meticulously and aggressively employing the Arabic language.
According to the writer, the initiative EPA has taken to organize such press conferences is crucial to address the people of Egypt in the language they understand about Ethiopia’s unwavering commitment to create mutual trust and their government usual behavior in hindering constructive dialogue.
“Both public and commercial media enterprises should follow the suit of EPA in mainstreaming Arabic by establishing and enhancing Arabic departments so as to encounter Egypt’s intensified media allegations and accusations effectively and affirmed the Arab world that Ethiopia has no history of harming others,” Hali noted.
The Ethiopian herald June 27,2020
BY BILAL DERSO
