Posted by Mesfin Tadese

“Our view would not please the Egyptians but Sudan will benefit from the [Ethiopian] dam” Sudan gvt. Spokesman

June 7, 2013

The Sudanese foreign ministry and the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum said today that have no knowledge of a visit by the director of the Egyptian intelligence as reported by government-owned and private media outlets in Cairo.

Several Egyptian newspapers quoted security sources at Cairo airport as saying that a delegation led by spy chief Mohamed Raafat Shehata has boarded Egypt Air plane to Khartoum on Wednesday morning.

It was reported that Shehata was set to discuss Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam and its move last week to divert a stretch of the Blue Nile river to make way for the $4.7 billion hydroelectric plant. The Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Khartoum to form the Nile which flows through Sudan and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean.

But the Egyptian consul-general in Khartoum Mutaz Mustafa Kamel denied to the independent Khartoum newspaper any truth to reports of Shehata’s visit.

The Sudanese foreign ministry said that while it has no knowledge of the visit, it suggested that it could have taken place in coordination between Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi and his counterpart Omer Hassan al-Bashir.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (C) meets with Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (2nd L) with the Head of Egypt Intelligence Mohamed Raafat Shehata (L) and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim (R) at El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo May 23, 2013 in this picture provided by the Egyptian Presidency

Morsi phoned Bashir yesterday to discuss the issue of the Ethiopian dam, state media reported.

Egypt, which has been involved in years of troubled diplomacy with Ethiopia and other upstream countries, said Ethiopia must now halt work on the dam and cautioned that all options are on the table to deal with this development.

“It is Egypt’s right to defend its interests, and other people have a right to follow their own interests. But there must be assurances the Ethiopian dam will not affect Egypt, otherwise all options are open,” Ayman Ali, an adviser to Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi, warned on Wednesday according to Egypt’s media.

Pakinam el-Sharkawy, another presidential adviser, told the official MENA news agency that Egypt would demand that Ethiopia cease the construction of the dam, AFP reported.

The presidency considers the dam as a “national security” issue for Egypt, Sharkawy added.

“Demanding of Ethiopia to stop construction of the dam it intends to build on the Blue Nile will be our first step,” she said, according to MENA.

Cairo has also grown concerned over what it views as Sudan’s reluctance to adopt its stance and condemn the Ethiopian project prompting criticism from some Egyptian politicians including opposition figure Ayman Nour who described Khartoum’s stance as “disgusting”.

The Sudanese information minister and government spokesperson Ahmed Bilal Osman called on Egyptian officials to refrain from insulting his country.

“Our view would not please the Egyptians and will upset them but Sudan will benefit greatly from the [Ethiopian] dam,” Osman said in a TV interview.

“The hurtful talk [against] Sudan does not serve the interests [of Egypt]” he added.

The Sudanese official further said the dam will enhance the flow of water from the huge reserves and feed the underground water while reducing dependency on rainfall. He said the benefits of the Ethiopian project will be shared by both nations.

The first phase of construction is due to be finished in three years, with a capacity of 700 megawatts. Once fully complete, the dam will have a capacity of 6,000 megawatts.

Egypt believes its “historic rights” to the Nile are guaranteed by two treaties from 1929 and 1959 which allow it 87 percent of the Nile’s flow and give it veto power over upstream projects.

But a new deal was signed in 2010 by other Nile Basin countries, including Ethiopia, allowing them to work on river projects without Cairo’s prior agreement. Sudan has refused to join this accord in solidarity with Egypt.

(ST)

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters

Source: Sudan Tribune

To my son Fikre Tolossa (Dr.)

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Posted by Falmataa - 05/06/2013 at 11:41 pm

Categories: Oromia   Tags:

source:http://ayyaantuu.com/

posted by Mesfin Tadese

No to war over Nile/Abay/Abbayya

Upper Nile Basin. Source: Nile Basin Initiative, 2011

June 6, 2013 (Gulele Post) — Meles led Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) waged war against Eritrea over a piece of land that was eventually granted to Eritrea. Close to a hundred thousand people were killed but it benefitted TPLF because it helped them extend their power after ‘winning’ the war (and some support).

TPLF waged war against Somalia for no other reason than to obtain military and financial support from Bush led USA.

Meles Zenawi was amongst the first leaders to publicly support the Bush – Blair invasion of Iraq, so that they keep silent when he comes up with bogus ‘antiterrorism’ laws to terrorize innocent masses.

Meles/TPLF waged internal war against nations and nationalities they ruled over, the number one target being Oromia, followed by Ogaden, Gambella, Sidama(the Awassa massacre) and recently Amhara for no other reason than to extend their rule by force.

Meles/TPLF’s response was bullets to protests (the Addis Ababa/Finfinne massacre during the 2005 protest, the Asasa and Gerba massacres during the Muslim protest, shooting at elementary and high school students in Oromia … etc) Having witnessed all of these and more in the past two decades, how can anyone support any potential war between TPLF and Egypt (and possibly Sudan and Eritrea)?

The ‘Renaissance’ dam was no doubt Meles’s grand project to fill his big ego (I kind of think that his grooming of Hailemariam Desalegn, an Engineer, as his successor, among other reasons, was perhaps to have someone with interest to focus on this ‘grand’ project). The problem isn’t why he wanted to leave a ‘grand’ legacy for himself but how risky it was and still is for others. The timing of the project, when Egypt was at its weakest, is highly suspicious. He might have also calculated an exit strategy for Tigray, who was spared from all the TPLF inflicted conflicts and internal wars. The losers would be Amhara (the source of Blue Nile), Oromia (source of many of the tributaries) and Benishangul (where the dam is built). He also knew that his opposition would be divided over the issue (a good byproduct for him) and China is there to finance anything ‘grand’ in Africa. What he didn’t calculate was that he would die and Egypt would be stable again.

Currently under an immense political pressure as well as fierce opposition from diaspora over fund raising for the project, TPLF has more to gain from a potential war or tension.  On the other end of the river, besides the undoubted significance of Nile for Egypt, the not so popular Mursi has also something to gain from a potential war – he would get more support and can consolidate power.

But this case is no longer about Meles(and his TPLF) and Mursi(and his Muslim Brotherhood). Any war over Nile has so many repercussions and will endanger millions in East and North East Africa.

That’s why, while I urge the equitable and fair share of the river, I say ‘No’ to war over Nile. Put the arms behind, leave the war mentality at home and go to a table of peaceful negotiation. If they can’t convince Egypt, Sudan and the rest of the world about this project or a reduced version of it, there are alternatives for energy – abundant geothermal, wind and solar energy and many other rivers for hydroelectric power. As for Hailemariam Desalegn, who was left with this ‘grand’ assignment from his former boss, he can have a lot of homework to deal with namely solving the internal crisis – a stop to mass eviction of farmers and premeditated inter-nation conflicts, thousands of political prisoners to release, a huge political space and media to free up as well as inflation and corruption to tackle.  But he has to first convince his mini TPLF bosses to cut their losses, if they have to, and give him other priorities. Failing to accomplish this, TPLF can kiss good bye to any support. ‘Sogidda yo ofii jette mi’aayi yoo didde dhagaadha jedhanii sigatu (iddoo dhuftetti sideebisu)’ jedhu mitiree hayyuun keenya. Chew lerasih sitil taft aleziya dingay bilew (yemetahibet) yitiluhal  [A rough translation of the wise advising salt goes ‘sweeten yourself up otherwise they will throw you back to the rock you came from’]

Source Gulele Post