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Ethiopia Wants to Hear a More Constructive Tone from Egypt
Amen Teferi
While the rhetoric over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) gets heated H.E PM Haile Mariam Desalegn set to visit Egypt sometime in December, 2017. During the forthcoming visit to Cairo later this month the Prime Minister is expected to address the Egyptian Parliament as well as hold talks with President El-Sisi.
Ethiopia continues to show a good gesture to Egypt as the saber-rattling rhetoric keep coming from Egypt. In fact, just last week, the deputy Prime Minister H.E Demeke Mekonnen had held talks with Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the acting Prime Minister of Egypt. Demeke was in Egypt to attend the Africa 2017 Forum, which was held from December 7-9/2017 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
He had commended the Government of Egypt for organizing the forum and had held talk with Dr. Mostafa Madbouly on the sidelines of the Forum and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s position on utilizing the Nile water in an equitable and reasonable way. He assured the Egyptian side that Ethiopia understands the concerns of Egypt over the Nile water and has reiterated that the dam will not cause a significant harm to the downstream countries. He further stated that “the Nile River is enough for all the riparian states as long as it is well managed.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has declared that the two sides have noted the need to continue discussion over the GERD to forge strong and mutually beneficial relation between the two countries. This venture requires honesty and resumption of the ongoing talks is essential to make a meaningful progress on issues relating to the utilization of the Nile River.
On the other hand, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Egypt, is trying to broaden the relations of the two countries and according to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia he had held a roundtable discussion with members of the Ethio-Egyptian Business Council on November 28, 2017. The source also declared that the discussion was co-chaired by Ahmed El-Sewedy, a pioneer Egyptian investor in the manufacturing sector in Ethiopia, and attended by more than twenty Egyptian businesspeople.
Ambassador Taye briefed potential investors about the opportunities in Ethiopia and discussed the upcoming Ethio-Egyptian business forum. He also underlined the role improved business relations could play in strengthening the overall relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia. Mr. ElSewedy on his part emphasized that enhanced business ties would support the effort to strengthen the overall relations between the two countries.
Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie also met with Professor Elsayed Felyfel, Chairman of the African Affairs Committee of the Egyptian Parliament and members of the African Affairs Committee on November 27, 2017 during a visit he paid to the Egyptian Parliament. He discussed issues of mutual concern including ways to reinforce the relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia and the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Ambassador Taye emphasized GERD would not harm Egypt’s interests and underlined Ethiopia’s keenness to continue negotiations with Egypt and Sudan. They also discussed Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn’s forthcoming visit to Cairo later this month during which the Prime Minister is expected to address the Egyptian Parliament as well as hold talks with President El-Sisi.
Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi are expected to discuss issues related with the ongoing negotiations of the three countries –Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan- on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
However, since the beginning of the construction of the dam April 2011, Egypt has expressed concerns that the construction of the Renaissance Dam could negatively affect its historic Nile water share of 55bn cubic meter, which it has maintained since a 1959 agreement with Sudan. This position has been a formidable stumbling-block for the negotiation at every crucial turn. The recent sharp rhetoric comes from Egypt after the three countries -Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan- failed to approve a study on its potential effects of the GERD.
Two weeks ago the three countries had failed to approve an initial study by a consultancy firm on the dam’s potential effects on Sudan and Egypt. The failure of the negotiations, following the 17th meeting of the Tripartite National Committee on the Renaissance Dam (TNCRD) in Cairo exasperated all sides. That meeting was to discuss the situation of the dam in light of the initial report by the two French consultancy firms BRL and Artelia, which were tasked with assessing the possible impact of the dam on downstream countries.
Then, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abou Zaid come out on Egyptian media and said that “Egypt is looking to gain international support for its position in the negotiations with Sudan and Ethiopia.” And Ethiopia’s efforts to persuade Cairo to engage in a win-win solution over the dam appear to have made little headway.
Egypt fears the construction will cut into its water supply and destroy precious farmland. Ethiopia says the dam is essential to its development and has repeatedly sought to reassure Egypt. Amidst this the Egyptian President said “No one can touch Egypt’s share of water” said in televised comments while attending the inauguration of a fish farm in the Nile Delta province of Kafr el-Sheikh.
He said “We view positively the developmental needs of our friends and brothers in Ethiopia,” and further added “We are capable of protecting our national security and water to us is a question of national security. Full stop.” Earlier in November Sisi issued a similar warning to Ethiopia during a news conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Such rhetoric will further create the “stagnation of negotiations” and will only result in straining the relations of the two sisterly countries. Under this strained atmosphere the Ethiopia Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn determined to go to Egypt, which glaringly shows Ethiopia’s commitment to midwife negotiated solution to the controversy over the GERD.
