I watched the morning sun glaring through the curtain of my bedroom window and jumped up quickly. At the age of 68, I was surprised to have that vigor. Perhaps, it was due to the excitement of visiting the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). I always yearned for a retreat to Guba. Guba is a magnificent place where you find dozens of world-class hotels. I had arranged a prior reservation for me and my family including three of my grandsons at Guba Paradise Lodge. Under a normal circumstance, Ethiopian Airlines flies to Asosa from Addis Ababa four times a week. Now being Ethiopian summer, a daily flight is available due to the seasonal increase of tourists who go to Asosa to visit the GERD.
Seventeen years have already elapsed since the GERD was inaugurated. It is now working in its full capacity to provide electricity to Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya at a reasonable price; in addition to the country’s local consumption. The GERD has become a great instrument of economic integration in the horn region. Guba has become a household name among all Ethiopians and the best tourist destination in the country. Many international hotels and resorts are established on both sides of the massive artificial lakeshore created leaning on the GERD. Today, Guba is the number one choice for holding international conferences in Sub-Saharan African countries; not to mention its diverse socio-economic benefits.
A retreat to the GERD is like a dream to many of Ethiopians. On top of its grandeur and the anticipation of blissful moments, Ethiopians are the rightful heir of the dam; and going there makes every one of us feel like visiting our summer house. For the completion of the dam, all Ethiopians have contributed a great deal by raising money and fighting for their right and sovereignty. That is why visiting that place makes us feel at ease; just like the way we feel at our homes. The GERD is the symbol of our national pride and unity. The dam has a university and environmental conservation research center. Local and foreign food processing plants are installed in Guba that provide abundant seafood for local and global markets. Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State generates huge income from multifaceted tourism.
Guba is a habitat for abundant wildlife. In the dense forest which stretches 20 to 30 kilometers way far from both sides of the lakeshore, you find a natural, unprotected wonderland full of diverse fauna and flora that has never existed before in the region. I have learned a lot about the area from TV advertisements, National Geographic documentary and others.
In the daybreak of July 15, 2040; I and my family were on board at Bole International airport checking in, and setting our destination at Asosa International Airport; after 50 minutes. More than half of the passengers are foreign tourists traveling for various purposes. Some were going to Guba to attend international conferences; others were ecologists, wildlife researchers, and bird viewers. Nearly at eight, we were checking out of Asosa International Airport. Many tourist services are lined up outside the Airport to take passengers to hotels in Guba. We found the van assigned for us and the driver took a few times to check for our names and IDs. We started the trip to Guba town crossing the beautiful town of Asosa. It is amazing how the city flourished quickly following the GERD.
In contrast to the gloomy cold weather back in Addis Ababa, we found Asosa to be mildly hot. We stopped over in the town for coffee and enjoy the famous fruits of Asosa. Asosa is far-famed for Mango and avocado; in addition to its traditional gold mining and bamboo artifacts.
An hour we traveled leaving Asosa behind and suddenly faced with the vast extension of the lake. We inhaled the fresh cool breeze arising from the lake. Thirty minutes later, we arrived at our hotel driving around the shore.
Located in the farthest west of Ethiopia, Guba is the last place where the sun leaves Ethiopia. And watching the sunset in Guba is a breathtaking and rare experience you hardly encounter elsewhere in the country.
“Grandpa! Where is the dam?” one of my grandsons asked me.
The chauffeur smiled looking at the dilemma in me peeping through the rear mirror. He said, “the dam is located some 90 kilometers away from here. See the lake is so vast that it extends up to here from the dam. Don’t worry! A visit to the GERD is arranged for you. We can go there any time you like starting from tomorrow. Besides, a safari deep into the forest is arranged; where you see amazing wildlife. Fishing is also part of your entertainment. We will serve the boat and the fish bait. The rest of our services are kept for a surprise. We were very happy.”
From the bedroom windows of Lodge, you can have a wonderful view of the lake. The reflection of the big round moon on the lake coupled with the singing of birds and the thrill of listening to roars of wild animals from the distance adds glamour to the exhilaration in the silent night. Had it not been for the long day and fatigue from traveling, I would have stayed longer strolling around until midnight.
Early in the morning, I woke up and opened the living room window wide. A fresh breeze of air welcomed me. I saw thousands of birds floating on the lake and many more flying over. I almost crawled on my way out not wake the others; who were still sleeping silently.
“Good morning sir,” someone saluted me from behind. I turned and saw a middle-aged man. “Hey!”I said with a smile. He told me, he was an Arab delegate. I was surprised when I learned later, he was Egyptian.
“So when did you come here?” I asked.
He smiled and I saw his tobacco yellow teeth. “I came here three days ago to attend the Nile summit which is being held in this beautiful hotel,” he said.
“I am an Ethiopian; which is obvious. I came here yesterday just for a vacation with my families,” I said.
“This is an awesome place. I never expected to see such a wonderful thing here. You know, Dubai and other cities of the Middle East was made out of oil money. But you turned this wilderness into a tourist destination and one of the economic hubs in less than a couple of decades. No offense! I mean considering Ethiopia is an economically striving nation,” he said.
“You said you are Egyptian, right?” I asked.
He nodded.
“So, if you knew Ethiopia is a poor and striving nation, why did you keep on opposing the construction of the GERD all those years?” I asked.
“I was a college student when the GERD was launched. The political propaganda and discourse of the authorities in Cairo were very distressing to all Egyptians including me. But you did keep your word. You had no intention to harm lower riparian countries during the launch of the GERD. I honestly feel that my country had been extremely selfish and coercive,” he said.
“Anyway, how is the summit going on; and what is it all about?” I inquired. He hesitated for a few seconds before he spoke. “As you may know, all the upper riparian countries are sternly demanding water share from the Nile. We are facing real trouble; my brother. Egyptian authorities should have signed the Cooperative Framework Agreement 25 years ago with the rest of the upper riparian countries,” he uttered.
“I had been a journalist for over 10 years, and I knew the Nile Basin issue very closely,” I said and went on saying, “Egyptian authorities had been too naive to negotiate with Ethiopia twenty years ago. I always asked myself why? Abay is the Nile. Without Abay, Nile would have been a simple ordinary river that might have swamped and perished in the deserts of Sudan before it reaches Cairo. Put differently, no Abay, no Egypt. Cognizant to this, the authorities should have become very careful when they dealt with the GERD issue with Ethiopia. The more they tried to appear coercive, the stronger Ethiopian intents became. The solution was simple at the time. Cairo should have swallowed its pride to comprehend the existing reality on the ground. It was just in the grips of Ethiopian and Egyptian authorities in those days. The quest for water share of the Nile has been the inevitable reality Cairo should consider with the growth of population in the basin countries.”
The Egyptian gazed at me and said, “Sir, you just raised an amazing point. The GERD had been used as a bargaining political instrument for election during those times. They simply wanted to make the people of Egypt happy so that they could stay in power with false promises,” he said looking at his watch and added, “ Oh! Time to go. Nice talking to you; and I hope we will have time to talk more later on.”
“Insha Allah!” I said.
“Ameseginalehu,” he replied with wide smiles; meaning ‘thank you!”
….……..
On the spur of the moment, I woke up from my strange and Disney like a dream. I opened the TV to see the morning News. The anchorman was reading the top headlines. He said, “The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will start to fetch the first phase of water in a fortnight.”
God bless Ethiopia!
The Ethiopian Herald July 16, 2020
BY STAFF REPORTER
