BY SOLOMON DIBABA
Once again and as usual, Egypt and Sudan lost their ill-fated diplomatic battle at the UNSC. Over the last ten years, Egypt and Sudan’s have left no stone upturned to sabotage the construction of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by employing global misinformation campaign, clandestine support for anti-Ethiopia forces; mobilization of the major western powers to solicit support for the implementation of colonial treaties to which Ethiopia was not a signatory and denied of its rights to generate electric power from the Blue Nile right on the Ethiopian soil.
Contrary to the provisions of the DoP, Egypt and Sudan tried to make Ethiopia sign a binding document on the construction of GERD aided by the former Donald Trump Administration which even hinted bombing GERD by Egypt. In utter violation of international laws on the utilization of Trans-boundary Rivers and related conventions, Egypt and Sudan tried to discredit previous efforts underway by the AU as a UNSC designated coordinator for equitable utilization of the waters of the Nile and appealed to the UNSC for five times only to lose the appeal every time it was put forward by them and their allies.
With all intents and purposes, the Arab League interfered into African affairs by providing a diplomatic support to Egypt and Sudan by denying Ethiopia’s right to construct a dam on her own territory. Imagine, while more than 65 percent of Ethiopians have no access to electric power Egypt is 100 percent self sufficient in electric power by utilizing the waters of the Blue Nile which contribute 86 percent of the waters of the Nile.
By politicizing the issue of GERD, Egypt and Sudan were busy misinforming their citizens on the quality of GERD, thus attempting to sow animosity between the peoples of the three countries. By and large taking the regrettable crisis that was created in the Ethiopian region of Tigray, Sudan encroached into the Ethiopian territory and occupied areas which were yet to be verified by the Joint Border Commission established by the two countries.
These countries are well aware of the fact that Ethiopia has every right to use its own water resources including GERD. The stand they took on GERD for the last 10 years indicates their lack of respect for resolving African conflicts by the African way.
Besides, they masterminded the deportation of Ethiopians who resided in Saudi Arabia irrespective of their being documented or not.
For all practical purposes, the GERD issue is strictly development issue and the three countries need to focus on how they can collectively utilize this huge resource for the benefit of the peoples of their respective countries. Henceforth, from the outset as stressed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, the UNSC has no mandate to take up the issue while the mandate of coordinating the issue has already been relinquished to the AU.
According to the Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, GERD is only one of the several larger and smaller dams to be constructed in the country over the years. GERD is in fact a power source not only for Ethiopia but for the rest of East Africa and beyond. It is a major contribution to the generation of renewable energy network as indicated in Agenda 2065. GERD symbolizes the future hope for Africa in developing a climate change resilient green economy across Africa. The meeting of the UNSC and the deliberations expressed by the majority of the members and none members clearly indicate the fact that negotiation and not saber rattling is the only solution to the GERD issue.
Indeed, the UNSC has a lot of tasks before it and it would be not only illogical but also waste of time to put development issue as a security issue before this reputed UN organ. Through the draft resolution put forward by Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan attempted to create a deliberate confusion between security and development issue.
As GERD is being filled in line with the provisions of the DoP, the negotiations to be conducted in coordination by the AU need to positively focus on mutual equity and cooperation on how to effectively use the water sources of Africa for the benefit of all. It is now officially declared by the Republic of South Sudan on the intention of building its own hydro-electric dam. This implies that other Nile riparian countries would be naturally inclined to building their own hydro electric generating dams. In this sense, Egypt and Sudan might even be forced to negotiate with other riparian countries on yet another forum regarding the equitable utilization of the waters of the Nile.
At this point in time, Ethiopia would again like to fully appreciate the support it has received on the issue of GERD from Russia, China, India and sisterly countries like Kenya and the rest of African countries.
The UNSC has set its own recommendations but did not resort to any condemnations on Ethiopia’s ongoing second round of filling GERD. Ethiopia is indeed open to genuine negotiation on GERD based on international rules and regulations. GERD is being built for peace, mutual cooperation and joint venture against poverty and never for confrontation.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald July 10/2021
