Fekadu Wubete
Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegen and band of higher officials had
currently attended an event organized to conclude the lot which was designed to
rally support to the GERD(Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam).The event was
frenzied and mesmerizing. All had brought GERD lottery tickets with them in
case they win and spice up their living.
Drawing the lots of GERD national lottery eying at participating citizens
to contribute their own to the construction had ended recently. Lots that worth
as much as 10 million Birr had been drawn officially at the hall of National
Lottery and the lucky jack pot winner is being awaited to grab his windfall.
The aim of the lottery mainly
focuses on participating people and building their sense of ownership of the
project through popular participation and contribution using GERD lottery as a
means(to support the construction). It is worth remembering that the
construction has been commended by many countries for being commissioned by Ethiopian
citizens only and other domestic financial sources.
Similarly, Ethio-Egyptian ties is not
currently restricted to only the subject matter of Nile and discussions on the
GERD. The relation of the two countries is also evolving in to wider horizon of
activities related to trade and investment. The two countries are enhancing
their joint ventures with time. So far the volume of trade exchange between the
two countries has reached over 137 million USD and activities are being undertaken to further
boost this amount to 200 million USD.
To this end, recently over ten Egyptian
investors had come to Ethiopia to assess various investment opportunities. So
far, over 70 Egyptian companies are known to be engaged in Ethiopia in various fields
including agriculture, industry, tourism and real estate construction.
Auspiciously, the
publication of the construction of the GERD has initiated Egyptian investors to
invest in Ethiopia and strengthen economic ties between the two countries.
Undeniably, the commencement of the construction of the GERD has evidently
initiated firm diplomatic relation between the two countries (compared to
frozen relations of the two countries during the defunct regime of Mubarak).
Proud of winning wide popular support
at home and abroad, Ethiopia has been employing discussion and cooperation as a
lasting principle on the use of Nile and the GERD. Since the inception, nation
has been making tireless call to all Nile riparian countries to burgeon
cooperation between them and break impasse of Nile cooperation that rooted
since colonial time. The congratulatory message and call of nation states that
the GERD is being constructed for the
sake of electric power generation only and it has no intention to induce impact
on lower riparian countries as the water is made only to rotate turbines and
flow back to its natural course, its
volume without being affected.
Nation is also time after time stating
that construction on the GERD will not be halted for a second while constructive
discussions with all concerned states are going on. Until now, Ethiopia has unwaveringly adhered to its principle of
cooperation, non-significant impact and mutual benefit. Quite sure to see light
at the end of the tunnel, unreserved call of the nation to GERD cooperation and
mutual benefit will go on. Patience and perseverance wins the race. This
tireless call of the nation has started to come to its fruition.
In the
contrary, some Egyptian websites and media are continuing their propagation of rumors
and gossips in the name of research publication while they are posting
unacceptable and biased ‘findings’(unfounded researches and gossips are harmful
to the benefit of the peoples of Ethiopia and Egypt).
A case in point, some
private websites and media of Egypt are used to distorting the facts about the
GERD with a view to gain readers(scam
message being posted on Al-monitor and Al-ahram is worth mentioning).For
instance these websites posted
‘’study conducted by ‘’Sameh Kantoush, a professor at Japan's Kyoto University who blindly concluded that the Dam would affect not only the downstream
countries of Egypt and Sudan, but also
Ethiopia as well. Indeed, repercussions would also reach the
Mediterranean Sea’’.
It brazenly stated that the ’’Dam, as currently designed, would
affect the quality of Egypt’s drinking water and
potable water stations, as well as the Egyptian-Sudanese water reserves in Lake
Nasser’’. Being negligent and ignorant to the
reality, this fabricated publication stated that the impact of the GERD will
reach as far to the Mediterranean Sea. However, it did not state how it hurts
Ethiopia and its repercussion reach to water
body as big as Mediterranean Sea(while the GERD is being constructed by an
acclaimed contractor that is using state-of-the-art design and technology), the
scam monger web sites had forgotten the fact that even Egyptian Aswan dam has
been standing until to date constructed by obsolete technology.
At home, the construction of the GERD
has swollen national pride and it has heralded the capacity of nation to
undertake giant projects. Besides, it has motivated citizens to exert
unparalleled endeavor and cast out the specter of `` impossible `` which was entrenched
and dogging Ethiopians for many years in connection with constructing dams and
exploiting Nile.
Witnessing boldly as Ethiopians at
home and abroad are the sources of finance to the construction, the project has
enabled nation to augment its diplomatic influence in the international arena
and challenge cynical donors and discriminatory financial organizations that had been clandestinely
hurting the national interest of Ethiopia for many decades( it is to be
remembered that earlier Bretton Woods institutions had served as a bargaining
chips to serve the interests of Egypt
and to shelve down electrification projects of Ethiopia on Nile tributaries
arising at home).
Walking the walk slightly but surely
and boldly, currently nation has said enough with Abay flowing out of its
source without any benefit(the songs and hymns that were used to depict Abay as
insurmountable monster have now been supplanted by new spirit of motivation
that praise Abay as an asset and development endowment).
In this regard, GERD General Manager,
Engineer Simegnew Bekele had said that Abay has been uselessly flowing out of
Ethiopia since time immemorial. In deed ancient leaders and people of Ethiopia had
attempted in vain to harness Abay. However, their effort has been superseded by
unparalleled effort and engineering prowess of the current generation that
proudly boasts of construction of mega projects and materializing their effort after
lapse of many hundred years. It really showed how mighty and lucky the current
generation is.
He said that unwavering and
irreversible decision of the government to construct the GERD has played a key
role to the success gained in the construction. As a facilitator to the present
achievement, the government has formulated far-sighted policy and strategy to
improve energy supply and accelerate national vision of poverty reduction.
According to him, Ethiopia is striving
to forge cooperation on the use of Nile waters based on the laws of
trans-boundary rivers. The GERD has not only started to rectify the imbalanced geopolitics
and hydro politics attitude of the region that has been planted since long ago
but also it has been triggering countries to make continuous diplomatic relation
to the betterment of their relation on Nile cooperation and regional integration
( it is worth reckoning how many diplomatic endeavors were made between Addis Ababa
and Cairo, tri-lateral and bi-lateral meetings that were held between
Ethiopian, Egyptian and Sudanese leaders since the publication of the
construction of the GERD and International Panel of Experts(IPEs) submitting
their recommendation on the project).
The agenda of Nile water utilization
and development is the predominant agenda of Ethiopia (not only viewed from its major
contribution of water to the volume of Nile but also from its desperate need to
realize its renaissance and extrication from rock-bottom poverty through exhaustive utilization of resources).
To help enhance this agenda, Ethiopia is striving a lot to significantly
publicize its foreign relation policy formulated on the basis of
peaceful-coexistence, keen interest on Nile cooperation, development and
boosting regional integration.
To this end, nation is reaffirming its
existing stance to justifiable use of water and development activities on Nile
without any significant impact. It believes that any development endeavor that
hurts the Nile water share of other countries is unacceptable and contrary to
international water laws that deal with cross-border rivers.
Earlier, tireless diplomatic effort of
Ethiopia has enabled to gain the support of Sudan towards the Dam. Tremendous
effort has been exerted to publicize about the benefit of the Dam to regional
development, integration and make Sudan detach from its deep-rooted stand that
was established on colonial agreements.
Likewise, as reflected by the comments
of its higher officials and parliamentarians, Egypt has currently showed keen
interest to undertake continuous discussions and forge cooperation with
Ethiopia. Many Egyptian scholars, leaders and parliamentarians have started to
speak well of and in favor of the GERD cooperation and the right of Ethiopia to
build dam and utilize its resources (hence, it is possible to say that Egypt
has understood the importance of negotiation and cooperation, unlike its
previous stand that completely snubbed negotiation with upper riparian countries).
Moreover, Egyptian higher officials
have started to accept the truth related to sharing the water of Nile in an
equitable manner and commended on the importance of discussion and cooperation.
A case in point, President Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi and Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry of Egypt had
commented on building consensus and trust between Ethiopia and Egypt(nation
believes this acceptable comment should be acclaimed and encouraged to forge
mutual ties between Nile riparian countries).
Overall, it could be said that the
diplomatic effort of Ethiopia is taking roots in the hearts of Egyptians .On
the way to u-turn from its colonial remnant, Egypt is also following the path of backing cooperation( even though it
is reluctant about the water discharge and content of the GERD).Currently, the
relation of these Nile riparian countries is going in an encouraging pace and
Ethiopia is expressing commitment to strengthen relation and establish
cooperation on rock-solid foundation.
Ethiopia’s firm belief is to build the
trust of Egypt on the GERD, enhance the modus operandi of mutual benefit,
peaceful-coexistence and resolving the impasse on Nile in constructive and
amicable way. Activities used to boost the consensus of Nile riparian countries
about the GERD will continue, particularly to make Egyptian people understand
the fact that the interest of Ethiopia is development and poverty alleviation
based on equitable use of Nile water.
It has been confidently expressing its
stand on various diplomatic forums about the GERD and its commitment to
equitable use of water, mutual benefit and regional integration through
electrification and other development activities. Nation understands Egyptian
people are far-sighted, rational and cooperative and they are understanding the
win-win stand of Ethiopia with time (earlier the defunct regime of Mubarak had
mistakenly diverted the attitude of people related to Nile water usage).
Currently, Ethiopia has summoned its
strength to navigate the storm on Nile sure enough to surf the right way and
finalize the course successfully. Ethiopia will move heaven and earth to fully
materialize Nile cooperation and reverse age-old and selfish use of the river
(perverted by the propagandists of Mubarak and colonialists of Britain). The
activity to strengthen the link with lower riparian countries (including upstream
countries) will continue through diplomatic gambit, cultural exchange and
people to people relation.
Indisputably, nation will keep on its indefatigable
effort to enhance Nile cooperation, win the trust of Egypt and its people, construct
the GERD and employ it for development. National call to mutual benefit and
equitable use of Nile will continue endlessly parallel to prioritizing
development agenda and poverty alleviation mission (without surrendering to any regional
and international hegemony and pressure as has been seen until the start of the
construction of the GERD).
