Egypt and Ethiopia agree not to clash over Nile waters

[Deeq A.]

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi says the Nile should serve as a source of cohesion and development, not of conflict with Ethiopia.

 

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said on Thursday at talks in Cairo they were opposed to any “conflict” over the sharing of Nile waters.

Sisi said that Desalegn’s visit was “a clear sign for our peoples and the entire world of our political will and determination to overcome all obstacles” between the two countries.

The Nile should serve as “a source of cohesion and development, not of conflict” with Ethiopia, which is building a controversial dam that has raised Egyptian concerns over water supplies, he said.

“We agreed that we must make sure that this great river never becomes an object of competition, mistrust and conflict,” Desalegn told a joint news conference.

Sisi said Ethiopia was not aiming “to harm the interests of Egypt”, while reiterating Cairo’s call for the World Bank to serve as a neutral interlocutor between the two countries on technical issues related to the Nile.

Egypt relies almost totally on the Nile for irrigation and drinking water, and says it has “historic rights” to the river, guaranteed by treaties from 1929 and 1959.

Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile, launched in 2012, is designed to feed a hydroelectric project to produce 6,000 megawatts of power, equal to six nuclear-powered plants.

The Blue and the White Nile tributaries converge in Sudan’s capital Khartoum and from there run north through Egypt to the Mediterranean.

AFP

[Old_Observer]

7 hours ago, Deeq A. said:

 

Egypt relies almost totally on the Nile for irrigation and drinking water, and says it has “historic rights” to the river, guaranteed by treaties from 1929 and 1959.

 

AFP

 

 

The Egyptians know they are on shakey ground legally. Ethiopia was not involved in either of these so called agreements of sharing Nile between Sudan and Egypt. What kind of agreement is it that does not involve the country that supplies 85-90 percent of the Nile?

 

Actually Egypt should work towards the security of the dam now. Ethiopian opposition will go and do something, since every incident will be blamed on Egypt. This is very dangerous for Egypt.

 

The only argument most valid Egyptians have is their life depends on it. And no one should threaten them to life or death. Generating electricity does not threaten Egyptians. If I were Egypt I would have offered Ethiopians to fill the dam as soon as they can to benefit from electricity. Egyptians are too weak, selfish and undignified and are asking 10 years to fill the dam. They know and Sudan knows 3 years is acceptable without putting any hardship on Egypt and Sudan.

 

 

[Holac]

Al-Sisis is either planning a big surprise against GERD or he is just trying to save face. We will know what he is up to in the coming months. 

[Old_Observer]

1 minute ago, Holac said:

Al-Sisis is either planning a big surprise against GERD or he is just trying to save face. We will know what he is up to in the coming months. 

 

It is not possible for him to do anything to GERD, every option is counter productive. The consequences are the Nile will be diverted and then Sissi has to come himself and occupy Ethiopia.

The dam does not affect the volume of water except when filling the dam first time.

[maakhiri1]

Great move by both leaders, it is always cheaper and  better to resolve through diplomacy.

 

 

[Tillamook]

11 hours ago, Holac said:

Al-Sisis is either planning a big surprise against GERD or he is just trying to save face. We will know what he is up to in the coming months. 

 

Holac, I appreciate your insight and I do agree with your judgement here regarding Mr Sisi: He is definitely saving face, for no way in hell will the military junta he leads remain in power for long in Egypt once the full repercussions and negative effects of the GERD— on the economy and people of Egypt— become apparent and fully realized.

 

One thing is for certain: there are going to be some very interesting times ahead for our part of the world as some major geopolitical shifts begin to take shape...The resiliency of the Somali people and their Horn of Africa neighbors will be greatly tested in coming decades.

 

[Old_Observer]

6 hours ago, Tillamook said:

One thing is for certain: there are going to be some very interesting times ahead for our part of the world as some major geopolitical shifts begin to take shape...The resiliency of the Somali people and their Horn of Africa neighbors will be greatly tested in coming decades.

 

 

 

It sure looks like the 19th century all over again.

Every one and anyone that has two feet some of them even wabbly feet are walking to the horn of Africa. From startup Asian countries to old and ailing Europeans to even South Americans are walking even with help of canes to horn of Africa.

 

The bridge between Yemen and Djibouti is I think the trigger. It is the Suez canal of this century. Yemen lost its government over it and the Somali man in Djibouti refused to renew UAE port management for next 20 years. Who ever build that bridge will be the British empire (some French) for suez canal.

 

Just as the clan and sub clan institutions preserved strong local government will be the key. Even the spaghetti Swiss swear by local government. To much energy and time is being wasted on big countries and empires, while those who are ahead are moving away even faster.