Even though the River Nile does not belong to Egypt alone, some of its leaders seem to believe that it does and that they can act accordingly. They are wrong,
In brazen disregard for
international convention and law, some Egyptian politicians reportedly
recommended the country back rebels and engage in sabotage in Ethiopia
to prevent it from building a dam on the Nile.
The hydroelectric dam will be
the largest in Africa and export power to the rest of the continent,
which is desperately short of electricity. The dam is not expected to
significantly impact Egypt’s water supply once it is in operation. And,
Ethiopia has every right to use its natural resources for the
development of the country and its neighbours. It would be easy to
dismiss the proposals that were raised in a meeting with Egyptian
President Mohammad Mursi, as the ravings of the fringe, except for the
worrying reaction of the president and his aides. Rather than clearly
condemning the proposals and rhetoric, an aide to Mursi simply
apologised to the political leaders for not warning them that their
meeting was being broadcast on television.
Mursi merely limited himself
to saying the Egypt will not engage in aggressive acts against Ethiopia.
And, his office warned that “Egypt will never surrender its rights to
Nile water and all options [to safeguard it] are being considered”.
Nile water is a vital resource for Egypt and any legitimate concerns
must be addressed, with due respect to the sovereignty and needs of
Ethiopia.
If Egypt engages in any underhand activity
to destabilise Ethiopia, it may face opposition from the international
community – something it cannot afford given its shaky economy and
political instability.
Egypt must publicly commit
itself to addressing its concerns through the legal means. East Africa
is a volatile region that cannot afford reckless threats.
http://gulfnews.com
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