Ethiopia Offers Olive Branch in Nile Water
Sharing Dispute
31 March, 2011 | By Peter Heinlein (VOA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi launched a furious attack
Friday on powerful interests seeking to prevent construction of a
5,200-megawatt dam on the Blue Nile, in the highlands along the
Sudanese border.
Meles says the massive project would allow Ethiopia to earn precious
foreign exchange from electricity exports. But traditional funding
sources have dried up, largely due to opposition from
environmentalists, as well as from Egypt, which depends almost totally
on the Nile for its water supply.
Speaking to the opening session of an international hydropower
conference, Meles vowed the $4.8-billion project would go ahead,
even if impoverished Ethiopia has to pay the tab itself.
“We are so convinced of the justice of our cause, so sure of the
strength of our arguments, so convinced of the role of our
hydropower projects in eliminating poverty in our country that we will
use every ounce of our strength, every dime of money that we can
save to complete our program,” Meles said.
The Ethiopian leader blasted donors and lending agencies that have
withheld support for the project, calling their action unjust.
“We need the support of all our partners to build the dam as our
savings are inadequate,” Meles added. “If our partners are deterred
from doing so because of the noisy campaign of environmental
extremists and some politicians with old-fashioned ideas, they will in
effect be condemning millions of Africans to poverty. That cannot be
just. That cannot be fair.”
In comments to reporters after his speech, the Ethiopian leader held
out hope that the post-Mubarak administration in Cairo might soften
Egypt’s longstanding opposition to upstream use of Nile water.
“I am still hopeful that the current government in Egypt will recognize
that this project has nothing but benefits to Egypt,” said Meles.
“Nothing. I believe the Sudanese understand this has nothing but
benefits to them.”
Meles said a change of heart by Cairo’s new leaders could open the
way for cooperative agreements, including a deal that would give
Egypt partial ownership of the dam.
“If there is a reconsideration, there will be time to consider many
issues, including possibly joint ownership of the project itself. We are
open to such ideas," said Meles.
Egypt’s ambassador to Ethiopia Tariq Ghuneim told VOA his country
is open to negotiations to reach an amicable solution to the Nile water
dispute. He said he could not comment on Meles’s proposal because
he had not seen details, but said any agreement would be a “win-win”
for all.
Ethiopian officials were vague on when construction of the so-called
Great Millennium Dam would begin, saying only it would be ‘soon’,
and would be completed in less than four years from the start date.
They say it would create a reservoir of water twice as large as Lake
Tana, landlocked Ethiopia’s largest body of water, but would not
displace any people because it would be contained in the existing river
gorge.
The Horn of Africa nation is hoping to increase its electricity
generation capacity to 15,000 megawatts within 10 years. The World
Bank says Ethiopia has the second greatest hydropower potential in
Africa, after the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Courtesy
Egypt requests Great Millennium Dam studies
from Ethiopia
31 March, 2011 Al Masry Al Youm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irrigation Minister Hussein al-Atfy on Thursday said Egypt is awaiting
the Ethiopian government’s reply to its request for technical and
environmental studies of the Great Millennium Dam. Ethiopia is
building the dam on its borders with Sudan....More
Sharing Dispute
31 March, 2011 | By Peter Heinlein (VOA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
- Ethiopia is offering Egypt and
Sudan an olive branch in their
bitter dispute over sharing the
waters of the Nile River. The
offer includes possible joint
ownership of a huge Ethiopian
hydropower project that
Egypt has tried to block.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi launched a furious attack
Friday on powerful interests seeking to prevent construction of a
5,200-megawatt dam on the Blue Nile, in the highlands along the
Sudanese border.
Meles says the massive project would allow Ethiopia to earn precious
foreign exchange from electricity exports. But traditional funding
sources have dried up, largely due to opposition from
environmentalists, as well as from Egypt, which depends almost totally
on the Nile for its water supply.
Speaking to the opening session of an international hydropower
conference, Meles vowed the $4.8-billion project would go ahead,
even if impoverished Ethiopia has to pay the tab itself.
“We are so convinced of the justice of our cause, so sure of the
strength of our arguments, so convinced of the role of our
hydropower projects in eliminating poverty in our country that we will
use every ounce of our strength, every dime of money that we can
save to complete our program,” Meles said.
The Ethiopian leader blasted donors and lending agencies that have
withheld support for the project, calling their action unjust.
“We need the support of all our partners to build the dam as our
savings are inadequate,” Meles added. “If our partners are deterred
from doing so because of the noisy campaign of environmental
extremists and some politicians with old-fashioned ideas, they will in
effect be condemning millions of Africans to poverty. That cannot be
just. That cannot be fair.”
In comments to reporters after his speech, the Ethiopian leader held
out hope that the post-Mubarak administration in Cairo might soften
Egypt’s longstanding opposition to upstream use of Nile water.
“I am still hopeful that the current government in Egypt will recognize
that this project has nothing but benefits to Egypt,” said Meles.
“Nothing. I believe the Sudanese understand this has nothing but
benefits to them.”
Meles said a change of heart by Cairo’s new leaders could open the
way for cooperative agreements, including a deal that would give
Egypt partial ownership of the dam.
“If there is a reconsideration, there will be time to consider many
issues, including possibly joint ownership of the project itself. We are
open to such ideas," said Meles.
Egypt’s ambassador to Ethiopia Tariq Ghuneim told VOA his country
is open to negotiations to reach an amicable solution to the Nile water
dispute. He said he could not comment on Meles’s proposal because
he had not seen details, but said any agreement would be a “win-win”
for all.
Ethiopian officials were vague on when construction of the so-called
Great Millennium Dam would begin, saying only it would be ‘soon’,
and would be completed in less than four years from the start date.
They say it would create a reservoir of water twice as large as Lake
Tana, landlocked Ethiopia’s largest body of water, but would not
displace any people because it would be contained in the existing river
gorge.
The Horn of Africa nation is hoping to increase its electricity
generation capacity to 15,000 megawatts within 10 years. The World
Bank says Ethiopia has the second greatest hydropower potential in
Africa, after the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Courtesy
Egypt requests Great Millennium Dam studies
from Ethiopia
31 March, 2011 Al Masry Al Youm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irrigation Minister Hussein al-Atfy on Thursday said Egypt is awaiting
the Ethiopian government’s reply to its request for technical and
environmental studies of the Great Millennium Dam. Ethiopia is
building the dam on its borders with Sudan....More
| All rights reserved. |
| Ethio Quest News Together We Can Make It! |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Egypt Favors Pragmatic Solution to Nile Water Sharing, Says Analyst Yeheyes Wuhib (VOA) Ethiopia to defy Egypt and build huge Nile dam By Barry Malone (Reuters) Egypt's prime minister, seeking a Nile River ally, visits Southern Sudan, offers aid projects By The Associated Press Egyptian fears over new dam ’groundless’ By Yohannes Anberbir Ethiopian dams on Nile stir river rivalry (UPI) Ethiopian hydropower Nile project alarms Egypt Ahram Online The Nile River: Least developed of all Major international rivers Keffyalew Gebremedhin Nile treaty set for ratification By Ben Simon (AFP) NO AGREEMENT ON WATER SHARING AT NILE COM MEETINGS WikiLeaks |
| Related Stories |
| Ethio Quest News: For latest Ethiopian News, views, Reviews and More |
| Ethiopians want more from sacred Nile waters By Aaron Maasho "Here in the shadow of Mount Gish, the spring water that forms the Blue Nile is believed to have healing powers, but Ethiopians say that is the only benefit.... More |
| Energy and Security Issues in the Red Sea Transforming as "the Age of Gas" Begins in Earnest By Michael Bagley |
| Ethiopia's History of National Resistance for African Unity & Dignity |
