Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia interest is one, no crisis Al Sisi in Addis

[Old_Observer]

 

If someone thought there will be a fight, will be disappointed. None has the means or capabiity if had wanted for electionering, there was no reason to fight if reasonable.

[Old_Observer]

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/288980/Egypt/Politics-/The-interests-of-Egypt,-Sudan-and-Ethiopia-are-one.aspx

Following a tripartite summit between the leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in the Ethiopian capital on Monday to discuss differences over the Grand Ethiopian Renainssance Dam, Egypt's president told reporters, "People should be assured. None of [us three] countries – Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia – will be harmed."

 

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi added, "Egypt's interests are one with Ethiopia's and also one with Sudan's. We are speaking as one voice."

In a response to a question by reporters on whether the crisis over the dam has been resolved, El-Sisi said, "There is no crisis."

Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir concurred with El-Sisi, saying, "There is no more crisis."

Immediately after the end of the summit, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in press statements that the leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed on resolving all disagreements on the technical issues on the Ethiopian dam within one month.

"There are no mediators in the Renaissance Dam negotiations," Shoukry added.

The meeting between El-Sisi, Al-Bashir and Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desalegn, which came on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, aimed at breaking the deadlock in negotiations over disputes on the impact of the GERD on downstream countries.

Ethiopia and Sudan have not accepted the results of a report issued in March 2017 by a European consultancy firm on the potential impact of the dam on downstream countries, which concluded that the speed of construction could negatively affect Egypt's water share.

Ethiopia has reportedly rejected a recent proposal by Cairo to involve the World Bank in the stalled technical negotiations.

In response to questions from reporters at the Egyptian TV channel ONTV to the President about the dam issue following the meeting, El-Sisi called on the media not to convey messages that cause the public concern or that insult others. 

 

"We already have mechanisms in place, we have committees on the issue," he said.

 

El-Sisi explained that "there is a high-level committee including the ministries of foreign affairs and irrigation who are following up on the issue," asking the public to rest assured.

 

The Egyptian president had met on Saturday with Al-Bashir, and the two leaders agreed to form a joint ministerial committee to deal with all outstanding bilateral issues between the two countries.

El-Sisi has been in Addis Ababa since Saturday to participate in the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, which is taking place from 22 to 29 January.

[Holac]

OO, this is a good development. The region doesn't need a new upheaval. If these regional power can work their difference out, it is good for all Somalis across the Horn. 

 

 

[maakhiri1]

lol, This is nothing but just a photo opportunity, Nothing has been agreed upon, 

 

When the NILES dries up, due to the damm or not, EGYPT will attack.

 

And it is confirmed, the GERD will have an effect on the RIVER.

[Tillamook]

^

Yep.  Everyone loves a good cloak-and-daggers photo opportunity, but the fact remains that the filling up of the GERD will have a tremendous effect on the Egyptian economy and people, and I can’t see how the Sisi junta will weather the consequences of such an eventuality.

 

The only solution to the Nile water crisis, in my opinion, is a highly unlikely one:  a confederation of Egypt, Sudan & Ethiopia which will permit equitable resource sharing between all members. 

 

Its either that or Egypt permits Ethiopia to develop one heck of a geopolitical advantage over her, which we know is very unlikely.

[galbeedi]

I agree. It is false hope.

 

Federation is big step and the winners will be Ethiopia and Egypt at the expense of Sudan.

 

My take o this is  as soon as the nile dries up, Sisi will be either hanged by his own military or the dam will go down. This Dam is not for national consumption of energy or to give Ethiopia constant electricity. It is about exporting electricity for cash throughout the region while basic agricultural needs of Egypt is ignored.

 

The Dam might not go down this year or next year, but when the right leaders show up, definitely, the dam will go down. There is no other solution.

[Old_Observer]

For those who wished to have war, or expected war, lets ask Eritrea.

 

The Eritreans are saying its impossible for Egypt, unless she wants to commit suicide to attack militarily at this time. The Only thing Egypt is capable to do and should do is ceate, encourage, support internal strife in Ethiopia.

And even that would not achieve the desired result at this time. There is no reliable partner for Egypt. The Eritrans after 15 years of supporting Ethiopian opposition have given up.

 

ONLF was most reliable and the Eritreans were confident of is too far, not enough support in Somalia and cannot make reliable alliance with Amhara or Oromo. The Afar, Tigray, Agew would have been "natural" allies for ONLF, but these peoples don't have solid opposition organization to Ethiopia and will stay that way for some time to come.

Egypt relation to Eritrea also propaganda aside is at its worst. Inside the Saudi camp UAE is challenging Saudi command.

 

No matter how much propaganda there is from Ethiopia, Sudan and partly Somalia about Eritrea, Eritrea is not far from Israel. The Egyptians know this very well. Even when Isayas needs medical attention, goes to Israel.

 

 

 

Basically the Tigray must have great support in the information and intelligence from Israel. The Dam itself was started when troubles started in Egypt, a coincidence, I don't think so.

[galbeedi]

Aren't you the wayaane guy saying the Palestinians are ISIS?

[Old_Observer]

On 1/29/2018 at 8:47 PM, Tillamook said:

^

Yep.  Everyone loves a good cloak-and-daggers photo opportunity, but the fact remains that the filling up of the GERD will have a tremendous effect on the Egyptian economy and people, and I can’t see how the Sisi junta will weather the consequences of such an eventuality.

 

 

 

 

There is a saying "One who thinks he knows a pet more than his owner". Egyptian leaders know that their media has been writing false information. The Ethiopians have been more truthful, that there will not be agricultural projects around this dam. Its pure hydro electric dam. The filling is easy to agree upon. Sudan has offered to take all her share in the rainy 2 months, flooding season. That alone will fill the dam in 4 years. If Egypt offers half that then the dam can be filled in 2.5 years. Egypt is saying 5 years, since that will have no effect what so ever. But is not fair to Ethiopia that all its investment would not have any return for 4 years.

 

Compromise can be found easily, but the false propaganda in Egypt that went on for so many years is the problem.

 

[Old_Observer]

23 hours ago, galbeedi said:

Aren't you the wayaane guy saying the Palestinians are ISIS?

I would never say that of any people that have fallen under hard times, let alone of the Palestinians. All I criticize the Palestinians is:

Egypt is their number one enemy more than Israel.

The Palestinians have to ensure there is a government in Egypt and Jordan that is favourable to them.

Its Arab countries that have created a palestinan organization each one of their own and compete.

 

Egypt closes and opens the Gaza by agreement with Israel.

 

 

[maakhiri1]

OO, what are the ideas to stop the evaporation? I am interested and agree alot of the water goes via evaporation.

[Old_Observer]

14 minutes ago, maakhiri1 said:

OO, what are the ideas to stop the evaporation? I am interested and agree alot of the water goes via evaporation.

 

1. to store the water in Ethiopia where its cold climate and release in seasonal way as needed in Egypt and Sudan. This option would reduce evaporation by 1/3 Sudan Ethiopia Egypt in that order Egypt is not sure if there are conflicts wants international involvement

2. Build Canal and use it as highway, if not the whole way, but where most evaporation happens. This option can reduce by more than 80% Sudan Ethiopia Egypt favour this in that order. Egypt did not want to spend money, sudan is most enthusiastic of this.

3. Egypt to have deep storage instead of like Aswan which is water exposed to evaporation over a flat large wide land, intead dig deeper and over small width can save the evaporation that currently happens at Aswan. Both Sudan and Ethiopia has proposed to Egypt. Some Arab countries are also interested in this as long as they can use for farming the water saved.

 

 

 

[maakhiri1]

Thanks Oo, if there is a will, there is always ways out to fix and  negotiate.

 

War is a lost and failure for all.

 

[Old_Observer]

15 minutes ago, maakhiri1 said:

Thanks Oo, if there is a will, there is always ways out to fix and  negotiate.

 

War is a lost and failure for all.

 

Absolutely. None of us should wish war to happen to them as we hate war on ourselves.

 

Some hard to believe information:

1. Israel offered its "good" offices for negotiation on the Nile

2. Some one dug up a video of Isayas talking about Egypt during the time Eritrea was fighting against Yemen about Hanish islands and is totally devastating info, its on youtube now and I am told absolutely devastating scandal. It says clearly unambigously that Egypt is in the wrong and selfish. Remember the King of Afar-Tigray/Ethiopia that defeated Egypt repeatedly is Isayas's great great uncle.

3. The Egyptians have come to realize that Sudan has changed completely since the separation. Darfur will not be so useful as the Egyptians thought

4. America is trying to repair its relations with Sudan

 

But forget all that, the most important thing remains the Ethiopians have the capacity to divert the Nile using hand tools and farmers in so many places. The British empire knew this and 20 places were identified, then Egypt has to come and physically colonize Ehiopia which is an impossible task for Egypt.

 

 

[Old_Observer]

Desalination to the rescue: Egypt looks to new water sources amid GERD concerns

 

Egypt is stepping up its desalination efforts to face challenges of water scarcity

 

 

Ahmed Kotb , Thursday 1 Feb 2018

 

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Photo: Reuters)

 

 

 

The building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile and its effects on Egypt’s share of Nile water have led the government to increase the country’s water desalination projects to be ready for possible water shortages.

Egypt’s current and historic share of the Nile’s water is 55.5 billion cubic metres annually, according to a 1959 agreement between Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia says the GERD is now 62 per cent built and that construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2018. It plans to fill the GERD’s giant reservoir to use it for hydroelectric generation, a move that is expected to cut into Egypt’s water supply.

Despite the latest breakthrough in negotiations between the three countries following President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi’s meeting with Sudanese and Ethiopian leaders on the sidelines of the African Union Summit resulting to an agreement to resolve technical issues related to the GERD within one month, Egypt’s need for further water-desalination projects seems inevitable.

“Egypt already had water concerns before the GERD loomed on the horizon, since Ethiopia announced it was building the dam in 2011,” said Hossam Shawki, director of Egypt’s Desalination Research Centre. “These are due to the rapid increase in population, currently over 100 million and doubling over the past 25 years, and the increase in the number of development projects,” he added.

Egypt started water desalination projects in the 1980s, when there were only a few small plants in some tourism resorts with a total capacity of around 20,000 cubic metres of water per day (m3/d). The GERD alerted the government to the importance of expanding the country’s water desalination projects on a much larger scale.

Until 2017, Egypt produced about 140,000 cubic metres of water from desalination per day, and the volume increased at the beginning of 2018 to around 250,000 m3/d because of the Al-Yusr Plant in Hurghada, which is one of the biggest in the world.

The mega-facility was inaugurated last week by President Al-Sisi in order to provide the Red Sea governorate with fresh water instead of the current pipelines from the Nile which cost significantly more, Shawki said.

Desalination consists of extracting the salt from seawater by using filters. Al-Yusr is one of 16 desalination plants to be built or upgraded in five governorates as part of Egypt’s efforts to fight water scarcity. The new projects comprise adding two plants in Matrouh governorate with a capacity of 150,000 m3/d and 34,000 m3/d and another two plants being upgraded.

Another four plants are being built or upgraded in North Sinai with a capacity of 30,000 m3/d. Four other plants in the Red Sea governorate are to be expanded with a capacity of 47,000 m3/d.

There are also two desalination plants in South Sinai with a total capacity of 42,000 m3/d, and two in Port Said with a capacity of 170,000 m3/d. Egypt currently has 40 desalination plants in operation.

“Production from current and future desalination plants will reach 700,000 cubic metres of water per day within three years,” Shawki said.

He added that one cubic metre of water from desalination can cost from LE10 to LE15, after taking construction and maintenance costs into consideration. “This is still cheaper than extending pipelines from the Nile to distant parts of the country,” he said.

Water consumption for development projects and current expansion efforts can only be met by desalination, Shawki said. One person can consume 100 litres of water per day, he added.

Shawki said that Egypt currently suffers from a water shortage of about 20 billion cubic metres per year, even after adding about seven billion cubic metres of underground water to its 55.5 billion cubic metre share of the Nile.

“Water desalination is the best way for filling that gap,” he said.