Egypt’s
Water and Irrigation Ministry recently stated that the agreement to employ BRLi
Group and Artelia companies to carry out joint impact assessment on the GERD
has been delayed due to need to resolve outstanding issues between the
consultancy firms conducting the technical studies and the legal firm wording
the contract.
Similarly,
Sudan Tribune had publicized that the contract intended to undertake impact
assessment on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will soon be concluded
after solving some anomalies between the consultancy firms conducting the
technical studies and the legal firm wording the contract. It has been said that Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt was
to make a contract with BRLi Group and
Artelia companies in the first week of September.
Some
other sources also stated that the companies could not come up with legal
documents on time. The companies are expected to compile detail impact
assessment plan and deliver the documents to respective countries before they
put their signatures through their representatives.
Earlier the Water and Irrigation
Ministries of respective countries had stated that the agreement will be
concluded from September 5-6, 2016, in Khartoum, Sudan. The study is expected
to be conducted as per the recommendation of International Panel of Experts
that had indicated to conduct further studies on the impacts of the GERD.
Egyptian President El-Sisi,
according to Al Ahram Online, in a recent interview stated that Egypt has
commenced new era to develop its relation with African countries, especially
Nile Basin countries. He said the negotiations on the technical studies of the
GERD are progressing in a way that is reassuring the equitable benefit of all
riparian countries.
The President said Nile will
continue to flow through its natural course in a manner that ensures the
equitable benefit of all riparian countries. Some analysts stated that the
current stance of Egypt reflected by the interview of El Sisi indicates that
Egypt has come a long way to respect the rights of other countries and
establish relation in win-win modus operandi.
Some even said that the current
diplomatic relation of Egypt has been boldly accepting (even aU-turn from its
colonial jingoism that snubbed upstream countries) justifiable relation
regarding equitable use of Nile, acceptance of the Compressive Framework
Agreement (CFA) and the GERD.
The construction being made on Nile
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 demon of `` impossible `` that has entrenched
for many years in connection with exploiting Nile (as a witness, it is a secret
in public that folklore has embraced lots of songs and hymns that praise Nile
as insurmountable monster).
The project has enabled nation to
augment its diplomatic influence in the international arena and challenge
back-stabbers, cynical donors and giant financial organizations that has been serving
as trump card of anti-Ethiopian forces andstealthily hurting our national
interest for many decades.
GERD General Manager, Engineer
Simegnew Bekele had said that Abay has been uselessly flowing out of Ethiopia
since time immemorial. He said some historical records has it that ancient
leaders of Ethiopia had also attempted in vain to harness the river. However,
their effort has been materialized by the current generation after lapse of many
hundred years. It really showed how 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 nation’s objective of poverty reduction.
Ex-Premier, Meles Zenawi, had laid
the foundation of the GERD on March 24, 2003 E.C. Since then, Ethiopian
citizens are expressing their commitment and support to the construction. The
project has started to witness the success gained in the last five years.
Currently, over 10,000 workmen and engineers are toiling over the construction
dauntlessly, defying the scorching environment of Guba area, in Benishangul Gumuz
State, where the GERD is found.
The construction is well under way
and activities are being undertaken in an intensified manner eyed at installing
the first turbines and commence power generation. According to Simegnew,
construction activities of the GERD are going as per schedule and in an
encouraging pace. Up on completion, the project is expected to contribute its
own to the poverty alleviation effort of the country and enhance regional
integration (through export of electricity to neighboring countries).
GERD Cooperation
Burgeoning with Time
Ethiopia is striving to forge
cooperation on the use of Nile based on the laws laid to deal with
trans-boundary rivers. GERD has attracted many discussions and negotiations.
Moreover, many riparian countries are denying their past and are turning their
faces towards the project In this
regard, the GERD has not only started to rectify the geopolitics and hydro
politics attitude that has been imbalanced since long ago but also it has been
triggering countries to make continuous diplomatic relation.
Hence, in view of securing their
national interest, so many meetings were held between Addis Ababa, Khartoum and
Cairo. Many diplomatic, tri-lateral and bi-lateral meetings 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 first hand recommendation on the project.
Similarly, the publication of the
construction of the GERD has initiated Egyptian investors to invest in Ethiopia
and devise economic ties between the two countries. Undeniably, the start of
the construction of the GERD has initiated diplomatic flurry, investmentand people to people relation between the two
countries (frozen relationsof the two countries compared to the timebefore Ethiopia unveiling the project; defunct
regime of Mubarak sidelining the issue of equitable utilization of Nile and aggressively responding to this
issue).
In this regard, earlier two trips of
public diplomacy were made to Sudan and Egypt. The team included in the trips
had played significant role to further enhance the relation of the two
countries. The delegates had held talks with senior government officials of
Egypt, patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church and other organizations.
The public diplomacy team had
effectively explained to its Egyptian counterpart that Ethiopia’s intention in
constructing the GERD is solely to generate electricity and support poverty
alleviation efforts of the country. Egyptians had also responded that they
understand the purpose of constructing the GERD is for electrification purposes
and there is no harm in it. The trips of the team have enabled to disclose the
fair stance of Ethiopia and the multifaceted benefits of the Dam to Egypt and
Sudan.
Ethiopia 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 decent, cooperative and they understand the amicable stand of Ethiopia
related to Nile(currently, Ethiopia has strong diplomatic ties with Egypt
contrary to the previous defunct regime of Mubarak that had mistakenly diverted
the attitude of people related to Nile water usage).
Ethiopia has been striving to
peacefully resolve differences related to the GERD. Especially, Ethiopia’s
cooperation to the team employed to study the impacts of the project on lower
riparian countries will enable to finalize the assessment on time.
Likewise, nation is exerting
strenuous effort to reaffirm its stand that the construction of the GERD is
only for the purpose of power generation. It also has been expressing its
unflappablestand that the project is being undertaken based on thelaw of
international water utilization; Helsinki Rule that states trans-boundary
waters have to be shared equitably and reasonably among riparian states.
Currently, the diplomatic effort
being exerted towards the GERD has started to pay. Nation will continue exerting
tireless effort to fully materialize Nile cooperation and reverse age-old and
selfish use of the Nile River to justifiable water utilization (perverted by biased
media and the propagandists of Mubarak). Nation will also strengthen its effort
to undertake development projects that could benefit all riparian countries.
Unflagging activities geared towards
the GERD has enabled to defy all obstacles and help construction of GERD stride
to fruition. Indisputably, nation will keep on its unreserved effort to finalize
the GERD and employ it for development.
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