BY STAFF REPORTER
Professor Getachew Kassa is a historian and social anthropologist. He served as Acting Director of The Institute of Ethiopian Studies of the Addis Ababa University. He is also one of the founders of Center for African and Asian Studies at the same university, he as well advises and lectures various courses to graduate students at the Center. Prof. Getachew puts the current undue pressure on Ethiopia into broader perspectives of neo-colonial ambitions, and argues that most western countries throw their full weight behind Ethiopia to preclude the country from being an example to Africa in self-reliance and autonomy in formulating home-grown polices. Enjoy reading the whole interview!
Why does Egypt want to take the GERD case to the Security Council?
The dispute, if not conflict, against the GERD has stayed for quite so long. The Egyptians have been opposing the construction of the dam from the very beginning. However, Ethiopia’s effort to construct the dam and convince the Nile Riparian countries to collaborate one other has helped Ethiopia to move forward. Actually, Sudan opposed the construction of the dam due to the influence of Egypt.
Egypt has been supported by other countries including Arab countries and the Arab League. In fact, the Arab league is under the influence of Egypt. One important issue that should be clear is that Egypt is not only investing money in these countries but they have also water interest since the Arab League countries can get water via Egypt.
Moreover, they want to conserve and accumulate water to establish settlement along with farm land in the desert. Therefore, they are opposing not only Ethiopia but also the Nile basin countries not to use the Nile River because they have big projects to change the desert into settlements.
It needs to be clear as well that Egypt is important country for the west for the west’s policy towards Middle East. This is because there is the issue of Suez Canal, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Therefore they give more weight to Egyptian influences than Ethiopia.
Historically, the western countries attempt to subdue Ethiopia has been unsuccessful. It is a known fact that Ethiopia’s pleas and agenda had been rejected by the western countries at the League of Nation, and also similar pattern is being observed at the UNSC.
So, it was obvious that when the GERD issue presented to UNSC, by default it is presented to the UNSC permanent members which were former colonizers of Africa. These countries do not want to see strong self-reliant government. They want to see a government which is dependent on them. They also need a government that implements their aim and national interest. If you like, it is none of their business whether a government is democratic or not, so long us it serves their interest.
Hence, the issue is not whether you are democratic or not. They need a government that keeps, follow and implement their national interest. It does not matter whether it’s democratic or not. Take the case of TPLF; they never said a single word when TPLF had governed Ethiopia with iron fist, committing corruptions, violating human rights, displacing thousands of people and so on. It was not an issue for them when the thugs embezzled and multi billion dollars.
But nowadays, they perceive that Ethiopia is in a proper developmental and economic trajectory. If Ethiopia achieves development feats including the GERD, Ethiopia would be powerful with its economic and military power. Therefore, disrupting Ethiopia’s aspiration is their biggest goal. They do not want to see the construction of GERD.
So, why did the UNSC decide to refer the GERD issue back to Africa Union?
The paradox is that Egypt and other countries including America have supported to present the GERD case to UNSC even through lobbying. This has been seen also during the time of President Trump which requested Ethiopia to sign improper agreement with Egypt and Sudan. But the government of Ethiopian had been able to thwart all attempts which have been taken by Egypt and the US.
Recently, the GERD case returned to the AU because it is a concern of the AU, not other nations or organizations. Hence, African problems must be solved via Africans. This is African river. It is not Arab Counties’ River. So, it does not concern any country, but only Africans. This is the basic fact that was presented to the UNSC for debate.
Even, IMF which is under the control of western countries does not want to borrow money or give financial support to Ethiopia for the construction of the GERD. Hence, it must be clear that GERD is constructed by Ethiopian people’s blood and sweat. This is what Dr. Engineer Sleshi Bekele presented to the Council. He realized and presented to the UNSC that it has to be defended, this is the issue of sovereignty.
This is not to mention the fact that the GERD is constructed by our own finance, moral, knowledge and commitment. Since the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I, the western governments including America which scientifically studied the construction of the dam has been hindering Ethiopia not to build any dam.
Nonetheless, currently, the Security Council has returned the case to AU because first, the issue of water shouldn’t be presented to the UNSC since it is a developmental issue. Second, the Security Council shouldn’t have seen the case since Ethiopia’s move to development has been supported by any development organizations including UN developmental agencies.
Nevertheless, Ethiopia has won. Thanks to God, China, Russia and India and including some members of the Non-aligned movement countries have supported Ethiopia.
To anyone’s surprise, as the same time the west countries also supported Ethiopia and show interest to refer the case to AU. In addition to the Minister’s sound arguments with facts, they have also observed the government and people’s perseverance.
A similar trend was observed when Emperor Menelik II died. The West vied for influence, and did every sort of conspiracies. But when Empress Zewditu assumed power, they turned their face and started working with her. That is why I said history repeated itself. Currently, England and USA are also repeating the same history as it used to be.
Egypt and Sudan are founding members of the AU. But why do they want to take the case of the GERD to the UNSC? Is it because they don’t trust the capability of the continental organization?
No, they rather focus on the colonial water utilization of the Nile River. It absolutely prohibited Ethiopia from using the river; this means they want to resuscitate the colonial legacy. If you try to make a colonial legacy an African thinking, it affects Ethiopia’s fate on the river.
Therefore, their claims on the colonial agreements’ enforcement are deliberately obliging Ethiopia to accept colonialism that Ethiopia has won at the colonial period. As well, Ethiopia has convinced the other African nations that the colonial agreements do not rule on Ethiopia because the water and natural resource agreements were made in their absence.
Now, they believe that unless they protect the colonial status quo, they cannot be fully benefitted from the river. Therefore, that is why they do not want to implement African solution as it leads to the brushing away of the colonial binding laws.
Egypt believes that African solution does not only limit its water usage but also its boarders and other natural resources bonded by the colonial influences. There is no doubting that if all the African problems are solved by African, the west loses the loopholes through which they could meddle on African affairs.
As a result, the west loses the means to oblige Africans to meddle on our issues if we-Africans-trust African solutions to African problems. Ethiopia believes that and does not want western meddling in African issues. And this has frustrated both Egypt and the colonial powers.
We are working to alter this scenario beginning with the issues of resources. Previously, it was the British who brought about the monopoly of water resources that Egypt inherited and upgraded it to the hegemonic power on Sudan as well since the British used to have agriculture in Sudan. The Sudan is not still completely free on its resources’ use as it is under the influence of Egypt.
And African solution to all African problems enhances Africans’ right to use their resources, and now the colonial borders are soon to fade away with the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area. This is a great threat to the west as it does not let them to exercise their hegemonic power on the African natural resources.
This Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam opens a great opportunity for Africans to decide their own prosperity although the western wish Africa to get underdeveloped as they have been doing since the inception of colonialism. Such projects foil their interest of stunting African nations as they enable Africans to utilize their natural resources.
Contemporarily, we have China working against colonialism for Africa’s development. China is supporting Africa 100 percent on the anticolonial movement. China has shown the strong efforts to fend off the western influences on Africa in colonial mind set.
Likewise, Russia is also coming on Chinese track against the colonial world order. For this reason, Africa has good opportunity to enhance African solution to the African problem.
So can we say Egypt’s presence as AU member is only Pretention?
At first, Egypt’s and Sudan’s existence in African Union is pretention as Egypt has never considered itself as an African nation. After Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s policy toward Africa was changed that they left Africanism and introduced Arabism. They have ignored African nationalism.
Therefore, we can say that Egypt has been dependent on the west since 1840. It was developed by the western capital and remained the center of the western business. Since the Suez crisis, it remained colonized since it was not able to payback the debts.
Sudan and Egypt focus on the Middle East politics. Secondly, they under estimate African civilization while they honor all the western civilizations and the colonizers pop up this and call them the only civilization. Therefore, they have Eurocentric view.
This colonial Eurocentric perspective still exists; it is not decolonized. Africa has started decolonizing and implementing African thinking.
African Free Trade Area includes Ethiopian development thinking that enhances others development through cooperation. Secondly, it considers peaceful mutual development unlike other development ideologies which focus only on self-benefits-unilateral development. This has threatened them that the west wants to eliminate using the Arab States through Egypt. For instance, Tunisia should not have promoted the Egyptian wish against Ethiopia, but since Arabism exists in the north up to the Maghreb, Africanism is not this much influential.
In this regard, African solutions for African problems should be centered to tackle the ongoing scramble for Africa. Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and others have considered Ethiopia’s track as appropriate. Africans must cooperate and stand together against this colonial strategies that stagger Africa’s development. That is the right and timely solution against the western strategies.
Do you see any kind of measure being taken by PM Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D) in the HoA for example in terms of infrastructure in order to bring together the region?
Yeah. Abiy’s policy especially since 2018 has been very dynamic foreign policy of Ethiopia. This time you don’t have enemies in the Horn. It is not based on hostility instead Abiy’s policy is based on cooperation mutual development, security and solidarity instead of competition on cooperation.
His policy is going to bring tangible development in the region through process. The stability in Somalia, the war has not been severing since he comes to power. Because Abiy has signed with the Mogadishu government an economic cooperation, port development in the Indian Ocean in which Ethiopia is participating, the cooperation in training manpower, the economic and flight linkages, all these have brought relative peace and brotherhood between Ethiopia and Somalia for the first place.
This time Ethiopia and Somalia don’t see each other as enemies. This is very important which means you have investments as well. When it comes to Somaliland, Prime Minister Abiy has also tried his level best to bring at least brotherly relationships. Although Egyptians are really going around and make this not to succeed but he has achieved that.
There is also port development at Berbera. This means that even our ship has visited the port of Barbara very recently. So, this is important to follow the Gulf of Aden and benefits mutually from the projects. This is all about economic, security cooperation and ownership of Barbara at least nineteen per cent. This access to the ports also means diversifying Ethiopia’s development endeavors.
In the other hand, this regional development is also interlinked with Djibouti. Ethiopia may use at least one port for its navy force. This economic relation is becoming very strong. As you know, Djibouti depends almost on Ethiopia for its food including fruits and other fresh goods.
When it comes to the Ethio-Eritrean relation, Ethiopia has made peaceful rapport between Eritrea and Somalia which is a very big achievement for the regional peace and development.
The western powers don’t want to see this?
Yes, the west is not happy to see this due to the fact that they will never have client states in the region once Ethiopia succeed to have regional cooperation based on economic, security and other issues.
Secondly, we have critical resources in the region. It is very important area with regard to gold, other precious mineral and rare iron which are very important. This area is called the Arabian Nubia Shield for its minerals. Starting from Yemen, especially to the Northern region (Tigray and Amhara) of Ethiopia, Eritrea has high important mineral resources.
Therefore, if this region, as it has been started, is going to be united together with China’s heavy investment, the west will never have access to the region. Independent-minded states can influence the AU in order to decolonize the continent from the western powers. The west is afraid of that so that they have to abort this kind of unity focusing on Ethiopia which is leading these ideas.
Can we say the issue of TPLF and the GERD is just tip of the iceberg…?
Yes. TPLF is nothing; even saving TPLF now is a dream. But in the western interest, it has served them in the past as their agent at the expense of Ethiopians the HoA and other Africans as well through the AU.
Therefore, although TPLF was their close client, they can’t worry about TPLF. It is the economy and unity of the HoA that worry them. Otherwise, GERD is also secondary issue. They cannot stop it. The main issue is economic one. All the pressures have to do with the fact that strong Ethiopia means strong HoA and Africa in general.
If the matter is like the way expressed, what should be done in order to sustain the achievements?
The IGAD should work very hard and even now they are doing very well. The best thing to break this western influence is that once Ethiopia succeeds in the developmental feats, the HoA should sit and think about how they can cooperate in the economic field and also to stop the intervention the west carryout through supporting rebel groups of one or the other. If they can broaden their cooperation, they can avoid such western intervention and meddling. They should be careful and watchful on not dividing themselves for the sake of the western interest.
Now the issue is aborting Ethiopian initiatives through defamation, fake news in order to convince other African countries. But, this did not succeed because they see that Ethiopia has the truth. We must be liberated from such chaos which has been created by the United States. It is the United States which is pushing Ethiopia from its middle position to become more Africanist and to be more pro-China.
They want to enslave us. Somalia has realized this when it aborted the crisis last month with regard to the election. It has made very wise decision. And I believe that this may be influenced by Dr. Abiy not to give a loophole to these people to meddle. Kenya has been convinced in the end leaving its aggressive approach towards Ethiopia. Kenya has supported the Ethiopian cause.
We have to work aggressively on issues that unite us. In addition, there are activities to ease movement like visa. For instance, Rwanda has started it. It is also coming to east African through new coalition. They are also making security cooperation like Ethiopia and Somalia. Eritrea and Ethiopia also have created economic and security integration. It will bring about a big change along with the activities of the free trade zone and IGAD, this means from now on African problems would be addressed mainly from here and referred to the colonial institution, UN during exceptional cases. It has opened Ethiopia’s eyes.
Africa has to use the opportunity created now. Ethiopia’s current challenge can be a challenge to many African countries, too. Once the issue of the GERD is resolved by AU, we are likely to stop seeking the meddling of western countries is minor issue. They should stop western intervention with one voice. We have an opportunity that we have China, Russia. There are activities by BRICS. So we have to capitalize on the support of Russia and China.
Just like the anti-colonial solidarity, we also need the anti-western influence movement. Other regional powers as well are carefully dealing with the western meddling throughout the world, one can take Turkey. Turkey is a regional ally for Ethiopia and Africa. India is here. All (nonaligned movement) are here. They are anti-colonial powers they, don’t intervene; they want a win-win relationship with the continent.
The African continent can become autonomous and equal partner with all other regions of the world including the west. So the AU should strengthen itself in terms of security cooperation like continental free trade area, there should be continental security to counter the west. Hence Africa can defend itself. So it should align itself very carefully and in a very thoughtful way with nonwestern countries. There are new superpowers coming to the fore like China, Russia is also coming back. We see cooperation of many African states with Russia. Recently Ethiopia and Russia signed cooperation agreement. This is strategic response to western meddling in Ethiopia and the horn of Africa.
Regional organizations should realize their ages which has been subverted by the west. The west doesn’t want the formation of continental market. They are afraid of solidarity of the organizations. There are activities by the AU to get permanent representation at the UNSC as a continent. All these can be pushed if they follow Ethiopia. Dr Abiy is aggressive pan Africanist. Afro centric ideas which are supported by many African countries with the help of strong states like China, investing throughout the continent, the west seem to panic very much.
Now the fight is between China and the west, like the former scramble for Africa. It is different from scramble for Africa because China is not coming to colonize Africa. Although there is western propaganda when you compare the investment of the west and China, China has developed the continent in the last 10 years, through lot of investment and protecting the continent from western meddling including insecurity issues as in the cases of South Sudan and West Africa. The AU can now capitalize on this opportunity. We can use the geopolitical interest of countries like China, Russia, Turkey that are resisting the west.
How do you evaluate the efforts of African leaders?
Africa Union under the South African Cyril Ramaphosa has shown how Africa can claim its right to its share in the UNSC. During the last two years AU, under has been addressing critical issues that are anti-colonial ones. Ramaphosa has made suggestion for the west not to meddle in some targeted areas. It has refused to accept some regime changes that are western backed ones. It is also addressing to enable Africa to establish its own security.
It has aggressively worked on Africa to solve its security issues. Even it has not accepted the coup in Mali and Burundi. AU, under Ramaphosa, is pushing for UNSC table. Sino-Africa forum is strongly backed by SA, as it is member of BRICS. This has paved the way for Africa to defend itself. DRC’s Felix Tshisekedi himself also looks more pan Africanist. He has rejected all the lobbying of Egyptian to take the case to the UN. The Egyptians have boycotted two summits under Tsishekedi’s chairmanship as they didn’t want his goals to succeed.
One important issue here is the fact that there is a move to protect the Egyptian president. It seems the west is Muslim brotherhood from setting challenges to Sisi. The Americans last fright is to protect Al Sisi from being overthrown by political turmoil, which might bring Muslim brotherhood and change the whole middle east politics which is against American and western interest, to be precise. That is why they don’t accept the African solution. The African solution means Ethiopia has the tools and it will finish the dam. Then Sisi will become irrelevant with the dam and Ethiopia will prevail.
If Ethiopia prevails Africans will strengthen themselves taking Ethiopia as an example, it is the second Adwa. TPLF and other issues are connected with this. Saving Al Sisi means, you will have military regime in Sudan, which will help the American and the western government to have influence over the Red Sea, and the horn of Africa which is a strategic region. Therefore they have to fight the African solution. No reason to take an African river issue, an African governments’ conflict, which can be resolved here, to the UN which is a colonial institution. Security Council will do nothing. No solution.
Thank you very much!
Thank you
The Ethiopian Herald July 17/2021
