ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia has been constructing the Abbay Dam in line with making cross-border water resources the centerpiece of regional cooperation, experts in the area said.
The Abbay Dam Negotiators Team Member Zerihun Abebe told local media that Ethiopia firmly believes cross-border water resources are the main source of regional cooperation, not a cause for disputes.
Evidently, Ethiopia decided to construct the mega dam by its own finance and capacity since the downstream countries did not show an interest in developing a river in cooperation. Thus, the dam under construction by Ethiopia is laudable as it is meant to benefit all the stakeholders and to integrate the region.
Zerihun also stated that Abbay Dam’s filling practically reassured that it will not harm downstream countries, and Ethiopia has not missed its guarantee not to affect their water share. “The African Solutions for African Problems concept, public diplomacy, and other principles are highly contributed for Ethiopia’s handling of the construction of a dam.”
During the past 13 years of the Abbay Dam construction, Ethiopians in home and Diaspora have been exerting consolidated efforts to repulse some interest groups’ unwarranted pressures and attempts to meddle in their domestic affairs. Indeed, the past four- year dam filling showcased the public diplomacy achievements without causing harm to downstream countries.
The effort of finalizing the Abbay Dam negotiation based on fair utilization and mutual benefit is of great significance for three countries and the dam’s filling presenting Ethiopia’s reality to the global community and it has been boosting the confidence of Egypt and Sudan, the expert remarked.
For his part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Digital Diplomacy Director Silabat Manaye said that the dam is a showcase for Ethiopia’s capability to execute any project of different size and complexity. In addition to financial contribution, Ethiopians in home and Diasporas are highly involved in digital diplomacy in promoting the true feature of the dam and averting defamation campaigns.
The mega hydroelectric project gave a lesson for Ethiopians the need for a great diplomatic movement, Silabat emphasized.
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
The Ethiopian Herald April 3/2024
