Ethiopia official labels Egyptian attack proposals over new Nile River dam ‘day dreaming’
(Hassan Ammar/ Associated Press ) - An Egyptian woman rows a boat with her family along the Nile River, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, May 31, 2013. Ethiopia started to divert the flow of the Blue Nile river to construct a giant dam on Tuesday, according to its state media, in a move that could impact the Nile-dependent Egypt. Downstream nations Egypt and Sudan have objected to the construction, saying it violates a colonial-era agreement which reportedly gives Egypt nearly 70 percent of Nile River waters.
Egypt fears a diminished flow from Africa’s largest dam and hydropower station but Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said Egypt respects Ethiopia and will not engage in any aggressive acts against the East African nation. Egyptian politicians had suggested the country should sabotage the project in a meeting with the president Monday.
Getachew Reda, a spokesman for Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, said late Tuesday that Egyptian leaders in the past have unsuccessfully tried to destabilize Ethiopia.
Ethiopia a week ago started diverting the flow of the Nile toward the $4.2 billion hydroelectric plant dubbed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The project is about 20 percent complete.
“The Renaissance Dam is here to stay. It is advisable for all actors of the political establishment in Egypt to come to terms with this reality,” Getachew said in an interview.
Since Ethiopia announced it was going to build the dam in March 2011, it has insisted the water flow to Sudan and Egypt will not be affected. It has initiated a tripartite Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia experts panel to study the impact of the dam.
The 10-man panel, which includes four international experts, submitted its report to the countries last weekend. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy said the report concluded the dam “will not significantly affect” either Sudan or Egypt.
Egyptian political leaders on Monday met Morsi to discuss the report. Apparently unaware their discussion was being televised live, some of them proposed hostile acts including aiding rebels inside Ethiopia and destroying the dam itself. Ethiopian officials long have accused Egypt of backing anti-government rebels in Ethiopia. More than a dozen rebel groups exist in the East African nation, some wanting more autonomy, others a separate state.
“There are on the one hand people who still think that they can turn the clock back on Ethiopia’s development endeavors including of course the construction of the Renaissance Dam,” said Getachew. “Second you have people like President Mohammed Morsi, who according to the reports, said to have stressed that there is no point in trying to force Ethiopians, but the best solution would be to engage to Ethiopians.”
Experts estimate that already water-starved Egypt could lose as much as 20 percent of its water in the three to five years that it would take to fill the massive reservoir. Ethiopia diverted the course of the Blue Nile to make way for ongoing dam construction. The Blue Nile has its source in the Ethiopian mountains and is responsible for 85 percent of the water that reaches Egypt.
The live transmission of the politicians’ comments has kicked off an uproar in Egypt’s independent media, with many government critics saying that carrying the meeting live on TV has shown the extent of Morsi’s mismanagement of a national security issue.
Ethiopia a week ago started diverting the flow of the Nile toward the $4.2 billion hydroelectric plant dubbed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The project is about 20 percent complete.
“The Renaissance Dam is here to stay. It is advisable for all actors of the political establishment in Egypt to come to terms with this reality,” Getachew said in an interview.
Since Ethiopia announced it was going to build the dam in March 2011, it has insisted the water flow to Sudan and Egypt will not be affected. It has initiated a tripartite Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia experts panel to study the impact of the dam.
The 10-man panel, which includes four international experts, submitted its report to the countries last weekend. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy said the report concluded the dam “will not significantly affect” either Sudan or Egypt.
Egyptian political leaders on Monday met Morsi to discuss the report. Apparently unaware their discussion was being televised live, some of them proposed hostile acts including aiding rebels inside Ethiopia and destroying the dam itself. Ethiopian officials long have accused Egypt of backing anti-government rebels in Ethiopia. More than a dozen rebel groups exist in the East African nation, some wanting more autonomy, others a separate state.
“There are on the one hand people who still think that they can turn the clock back on Ethiopia’s development endeavors including of course the construction of the Renaissance Dam,” said Getachew. “Second you have people like President Mohammed Morsi, who according to the reports, said to have stressed that there is no point in trying to force Ethiopians, but the best solution would be to engage to Ethiopians.”
Experts estimate that already water-starved Egypt could lose as much as 20 percent of its water in the three to five years that it would take to fill the massive reservoir. Ethiopia diverted the course of the Blue Nile to make way for ongoing dam construction. The Blue Nile has its source in the Ethiopian mountains and is responsible for 85 percent of the water that reaches Egypt.
The live transmission of the politicians’ comments has kicked off an uproar in Egypt’s independent media, with many government critics saying that carrying the meeting live on TV has shown the extent of Morsi’s mismanagement of a national security issue.
"Technologically speaking, South Africa is advanced, and under good leadership they may be able to beat Ethiopia if the two were able to square off.
But looking at Ethiopia's 3000 years of history and their victory over the Egyptians, Ottomans, Persians, Somalians, North Koreans during the Korean War (of which they were the only UN force to never surrender nor where they ever defeated, winning 238 out of 238 battles they were put in), and not to mention their battle of adwa and defiance of fascism in WW2. Ethiopians have a history of winning as the underdog and their army is legendary among pan-africanists and any pro-bob marley fan as a whole. In fact, many African nations took their flag colors because of what Ethiopia symbolizes.
I'm a member of the US military, so when I say that South Africa looks like a contender, I mean it. But they are a relatively young military force with much room to develop. Although they have great resources before them, they need to learn how to utilize them to the highest standard, however I wouldn't take the Ethiopians so lightly.
In 2011, Ethiopia planned to build a dam for their irrigation systems on the Nile (which the source is in their borders) but Egypt threatened military force if they did it. Their prime minister pretty much dared Egypt and they backed down. Ethiopia's army is considered by those who are educated enough in war to be legendary and therefore should not be taken lightly like the many nations before them that have invaded."
I think you know what I am saying, we want peace with every body, and we know how to handle enemies.The most important thing we learned from our brave Father is that we either live free or die.That is why we are not colonized, we choose to die than being a slave, God is our only master.I am proud to be Ethiopian, Thank you God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!