Part II
Being rich with all such appealing story, why Ethiopia has failed to overcome poverty and other related hurdles?
The very question here is, ‘How can we change this opportunity into investment, tourism and trade taking advantage of all these positive approaches?” Various leaders of this nation recurrently said Ethiopia-an island of Christianity and even said, “The country’s tree is worka, Muslim’s country is Mecca.” This was wrong because Ethiopia’s Muslim community is the third in Africa and the ninth in the world.
This country is a positive one which has genuinely accommodated all aspects at equal footing and their legacy is always well remembered. After that, the diplomatic relations during the era of the emperors’ were with the western, and following it the trade, investment and tourism had also turned out to be with them, too.
The Derg regime was also made its relations with socialist countries like Russia and Cuba and didn’t give value to the relationship with the Arab world.
When EPRDF came to power, the quest for the assignment of ambassadors should take the issue of the Arabic language into account as they are certified or licensed spies. I remember, I once asked a senior official saying “why you do not send ambassadors knowing Arabic language to the Arab world? He responded to my question saying, “The very criteria is enforcing our mission, not knowing Arabic language.” For example, 560 researches were conducted on the Nile in Arabic and 2,250 studies were conducted about African continent in Arabic, of which some 266 studies are directly concerning Ethiopia. If we do have ambassador understanding Arabic language, we can easily analyze, what is written about the Nile, how conferences are conducted and other related aspects could be well interpreted. What is being done upon us? Arabic is decisive because it is a language of religion, war, diplomacy and trade. That is why westerners do assign Arabic speaking ambassadors.
For example, France, Russia, China, Turkey, America and England do have channels working in Arabic language. It is not a question of being Arab, or bringing Islam into one’s nation, but the indispensable nature of the language forces one to enjoy knowing it.
A Russian expert once came here and met me. “He said Ethiopia does have in Addis Ababa University English, French, Italian and other foreign language departments, but doesn’t have Arabic language faculty, how stupid of them.” To your surprise, westerners do not assign ambassadors with no knowledge of Arabic language. It should by no means be regarded as a sole language of Islam.
Following our not effectively utilizing this opportunity; we have failed to attract investment, trade and tourism so far. Arab countries with all their hottest areas have even used the tourism opportunities out of the desert-oriented scenario. We can secure a great deal of revenue out of tourism. Turkey has alleviated its foreign loan using tourism, for instance. We can easily collect a great deal of dollars solely from the tourism sector if we highly consolidate our relations with the Arab world and use Arabic language properly.
Tourism, investment and trade are the three interlinked sub-sectors. These desert-oriented countries do have a problem of food security. As I said earlier, Islam reached us in 615 BC. In due course of accepting Islam, we have preceded Medina, the second station by 8 years, Syria and Iraq by 18 years, Egypt by 24 years, Algeria and Tunisia by 27 years, Sudan and Nubian by 36 years, Turkey and Iran by 76 years, Pakistan and India by 170 years.
Learning Arabic language for someone doesn’t mean bringing Islamic religion. We are founders, and made renaissance for the Arab world.
Embassies and the media should work widely in Arabic language. For example, Egyptians do have close to 4,000 media working in Arabic language. These days, all are shouting about the Nile, about the dam day in and day out.
We have lost a number of things following our recklessness to work with the language. For instance, the tourism sector in the country is not exploited as expected. Let alone us with a very conducive weather condition, the Arab world with a very hot atmosphere have been benefitting much more out of tourism. Wherever you go across the globe, it is hard to find Ethiopia’s golden weather type like highlands, semi-highland and lowland. “For example, we can sell today’s weather for a million dollar from tourism alone.”
Gulf tourists used to go to Syria, but it is demolished. Lebanon is not willing to host them. So, where do they go? In 2014, Turkey for instance hosted 34,000,000 tourists and is able to secure 35 billon dollars a year. Besides, they created job opportunities for 6 million fellow citizens. And it made itself free from foreign debt from tourism of course. We are turning out to be reluctant; we can secure a lot from tourism only. The aforesaid countries have recurrently encountered food insecurity as they have had option other than benefiting from petroleum—the sole source of revenue. Since our foreign policy is not that strong, we could hardly benefit out of the gifted resources.
Egypt and Ethiopia are not in a position to commonly utilize the Nile waters. Where does the problem lie?
Egypt and Ethiopia are nagging on the problem arises from both sides. The problem from the side of Egypt is being ego or green-eyed and Ethiopia’s reluctance in utilizing its resources as it should be. Basically, our problem is lack of knowledge or illiteracy. Some 60% of Egyptians do not know that the Nile belongs to Habesha, even they don’t know where it comes from—the Habesha land. Egyptians are always told that the Nile is the gift of Allah. They do not know where Abay comes from and we do not know what Abay is. Look! Two paradoxical scenarios are circumstantially reflected. Egyptians are smart enough.
Since ancient times Egypt has left no stone unturned to weaken Ethiopia or hinder the country from being strong and self-sufficient. All Egypt’s rulers have not yet wanted to see the success story of Ethiopia. If Ethiopia is strengthened, it can be sovereign, if it is a sovereign nation; Egyptian’s threat rises in all circumstances. If Ethiopia is lost, the Middle East collapses. The entire continent will also collapse, said Prophet Mohammed. Understanding the reality on the ground, Egyptians do not have good faith upon us, rather their being evil-eyed and green eyed has risen.
A number of writers have produced a range of studies about Egypt and Ethiopia and Ethiopia and Sudan, too. There are about 120 studies about Ethiopian history. They have known that Ethiopia’s ancient history incorporated even their own territory. Their conspiracy started from ancient times. For instance, if we cite some as testimonies Mohammed Ali Basha controlled Masawa and Harar. Hidu Ismail 1875 and 1876 at Gundet and Gura.
Jemal Abdulnasir, he was smart and said I don’t want to fight and trump a campaign over Ethiopia, but he raises an issue of water and built Aswan. Anwar Sadat said if you try to construct a dam, all Egypt’s army will march towards you. Husni Mubarak with his advisors went to Sudan and asked it to give them camp for army with a view to fighting Ethiopia if tries to build a dam. Albeshir was not willing that time, in 2012. They returned home empty handed. Mohammed Mursi, when foundation was laid, Mursi called a meeting and said navy, air force head, army head, political oppositions, religious leaders, told about a national agenda and they orchestrated a five-point resolution as a conspiracy which directly target at flagging Ethiopia by hook or by crook:
- Equipping Eritrea and demolish Ethiopia
- Pushing Djibouti, as Arab league member, to halt port service to Ethiopia
- Arming Ethiopian Muslims and empowering them to severely oppose the system
- Providing the Ogden liberation frontwith office to well equip them and make capable of fighting Ethiopia together with neighbor Somalia
- Informing Mohammed Ali Al Amoudi, as he is a Saudi citizen, to evacuate from Ethiopia and stop investing there.
Even one told him the prophet Mohammed’s will “Don’t touch Habesha so long as they provoke you to ignite quarrel.” He was shortly thrown in jail following his utterances.
Let’s now go to Abdulfetah Al-Sisi in 2015 Hailemariam, Albshir and Sisi signed agreement about the Nile including the dam filling. Hearing this procedure, oppositions there said, “No mursi was not stabilized, not a mature politician, and because of other related problems, he signed. So he was wrong. When we started the dam, Egypt has 80,000 experts worldwide in for instance UN, WB, Arab League writing illegitimate and unfounded facts against the Dam.
They concluded later to inform World Bank to ban fund for Ethiopia. Since Ethiopians do not have capacity to build, no problem will occur about the dam. No voice or shout was heard when the dam reached 40%. Even
when some irresponsible officials engaged in the construction of the dam plundered money that was pumped to it, Egypt’s conspiracy was there. When it became closer to 60%, they started shouting. They organized three groups: Sisi led politics and military sect for foreign policy and propaganda and said 920,000 army we have, Ethiopia does have 145,000 only. We can use military force if need arises.
“Since there is an issue of Turkey, let’s solve with Ethiopia by arbitration,” they said.
The second is the technique department. Here project study led by three professional engineers: Cairo University, engineer Ibrahim Alfeypume, Amed Eshenawi, Abdular Hassen. They said we studied the dam topography and it hosts landslideor earthquake twice a day. If 74 meter square waters 17 times a day earthquake will occur. So Negara, Saudi, Red Sea well be demolished. Next, they took the plan to Arab ambassadors, Arab league; intimidate them as much as they can. Besides, they said “If it rains cats and dogs, Sudan and Egypt will be eroded. Third, the dam doesn’t log last as it was not constructed by real professionals. It will be silt full shortly. If Ethiopia dams the river, all investors inflow to it and Egyptians will be exposed to hunger. They also planned to use another way to have water but requested them 50 billion dollar, where does it come from? They have left every stone unturned to use other options. But not succeeded so far.
The third is the media department propagating falsehood fabrication. Intrabasin media in Egypt does have channels working for 24 hours only in Arabic about the dam and Ethiopia. Even they turned it into a religious issue. Beware all Egyptians! Christian Ethiopia comes to get Egypt vanish. Some smart have asked them, isn’t there muslin in Ethiopia? However, they gave them deaf ear.
The first agenda was Eritrean succession. It was Boutros Boutros Gaily—an Egyptian, the conspiracy was setting Ethiopia aside, including Eritrea into Arab and use red sea to create a great nation. Dr. Abiy reconciled with Eritrea and think ahead of to Egyptians, (lle’rat siasibut misa aderegachew, in local language Amharic).
Egyptian officials first went to WB, then to UNSC. The latter told them the issue should be seen by AU. The two Arab league countries, Djibouti and Somalia, have played a paramount role in making Egyptians conspiracy void. They then selected four countries: Saudi, Iraq, Jordanand Morocco to follow up their issues. This all failed, too. Lastly, they came back again to Africa. Even Aljazeera has an opposite stance against them. It has done a lot in disproving their propaganda. Everyone presenters Ethiopia’s stance said Ethiopia has natural right to use its resource. One of the presenters even requested them, when Ethiopians were suffering from hunger in 1977, what did you do to help them apart from flattering at them. This is your time in return. If you helped that time, they would be considerate to internalize your concerns and feel the pain.
Hereafter, it is high time to effectively use the water resource in light of a legitimate natural right not to harm others. If this is so, a number of citizens will come from abroad and invest in their motherland. Investors, entrepreneurs and other patriots will develop their country working hand in hand with the incumbent.
A journalist from abroad once came and asked me where to visit. I recommended her to see Abay, Bahir Dar, and she went there and observed mothers struggling with firewood for cooking. She also went to Sudan and saw similar situations. When she went to Egypt and requested them to see some living standards, they were not willing to show her fearing her exhibiting the righty on the ground.
Surprisingly, Egypt said let me know the process of dam filling and we are expected to take part in dam management, what does it mean? Does colonialism prevail in the era of liberation?
As the dam is a matter of life and death, dignity and identity, all Ethiopians are now expected to narrow down differences. All conspiracies under that sun are being orchestrated upon us, what are we doing?
Don’t Egyptians know that the dam doesn’t have a significant harm on them as it releases water immediately after rolling turbines?
They know the insignificant harm, but have deliberately done all wrongdoings following their cruelty. They have been wishing Ethiopia bad lucks since time immemorial. Even a Patriarch was assigned from Egypt to make us lazy. They always wag war and let along with insurgents religious and civil war happen. They all the time use difference in Ethiopia as fertile grounds to destabilize the country. If we can level our gaps, no one can dare us to do wrong.
There are many patriots like Mohammed Al Arusi who are seriously fighting Egyptians in various aspects and get their conspiracy dried. On the other hand, they are becoming sleepless to kill him and other import patriots of Ethiopia.
Since Arabic language is one means of ours to solve problems with the Arab world, it should be capitalized. Of course, there is a team organized in foreign affairs ministry and we will focus on Arabic language and our diplomatic moves.
It is going to be given in schools and widely used in embassies, media to promote the overall status of the nation and tourism in particular. For instance, Nejash’ history is not known well. In sum, I would like to say, “If we Ethiopians unite, we’ll never be defeated. The potential leeway for being defeated is dividing ourselves in clan, language, religions and the likes. No one benefits from being dismantled. Thanks to Dr. Abiy Ahmed, sense of Ethipianism is now being recovered as it was below zero for over 27 years.”
We all should root out a ‘who cares’ sentiment. Since any problem targets at Ethiopia will knock everyone’s door, citizens have to be alert all the time. Let me wrap my ideas here citing a popular puzzle in this regard.
Once, a frog lived in water. It was flattering at animals resided in the jungle when a wildfire broke out as it dwelled in the water. When the worst came, the fire brigade went to the water body where that frog lived and proud of being unattached to extinguish the fire using water. When it was poured the frog caught together and burnt first.
Poor green-eyed
The Ethiopian Herald July 31/2020
BY MENGESHA AMARE
