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. Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan to continue AU-led discussion.
. First phase of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) filling is completed
borkena
July 21, 2020
Ethiopia confirmed on Tuesday the first phase of filling of the GERD is completed as the country received heavy rainfall in the past two weeks.
4.9 billion cubic meters of water needed to be retained for the first phase of the filling. Egypt has been requesting “urgent clarification,” after Sudan reported that the volume of water received has decreased.
A statement from the office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia on Tuesday said that Ethiopia has achieved the first phase of the filling of GERD.
“It has become evident over the past two weeks in the rainy season that GERD first year filing is achieved and the dam under construction is already overtopping,” it was said in the statement.
Ethiopia’s confirmation came after the conclusion of the heads of state-level follow-up virtual meeting, which was African Union led, was underway on the same day. An agreement has been reached between the three countries (Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan) to continue technical level negotiation on the filling of the dam.
“Heads of State level extraordinary meetings concluded with all the parties reaching a major understanding which paves the way for a breakthrough agreement. Accordingly, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan agreed for further technical discussion on the filling to continue in the AU led process,” said the statement from the office of the Prime Minister.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired the virtual conference. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Sudanese PM Minister Abdalla Hamdok, and Egyptian president Abdul-Fatah al-Sisi have participated in the meeting. The leaders of Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mali and AU Chairperson Moussa Faki were in attendance at the meeting.
After the meeting, President Ramaphosa tweeted “The Bureau of the AU Assembly has just concluded a constructive Extraordinary Meeting on issues relating to the #GERD. The trilateral negotiations remain on track, and I wish to thank all the parties involved for their commitment to finding African solutions to African problems.”
Ethiopian State media said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his appreciation for President Ramaphosa for “the African solutions to African problems,” initiative. He also expressed his appreciation for Sudanese and Egyptian counterparts for reaching an agreement to continue the technical discussion on the filling of the dam.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Egypt is still working on getting military footholds somewhere close to Ethiopia. Somaliland is the latest country, with a need to get international recognition for statehood, where Egypt attempted to secure a military base. Somaliland authorities have reportedly confirmed that a high-level Egyptian delegation recently visited the country. However, it did not disclose if an agreement was reached with Egypt.
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There are a few things or claims that I DON’T WANNA HEAR!
1) Calling the dam ‘controversial’. That is because there is nothing controversial about it. Nothing!!!
2) Such vile allegation as ‘Ethiopia began filling the dam’. That is totally a lie cooked up in Al-Qahirah. What do you expect when Mother Nature let it pour down in buckets? Hello!! Flooding, right? Then zip it!!! For someone, I said somebody, whose Allah given faculties are in good order can tell from the color of the river around the dam is dark brown. What does that tell you? Flood!!! A raging flood!!!! It is said that Sudan is already benefiting from that latest situation around the dam. The dam is already having impact on the annual flooding Sudan used to be devastated by this time of the year.
3) Stop telling the world about ‘tension’ that should never exist between Ethiopia and Egypt. And stop adding catchy phrases like ‘tension building up between the two superpowers of the region’. That is because they are NOT!!! There are some sugar drunk megalomaniacs in Cairo who dream to be taken as such with panhandled F16’s, Rafale’s and SU-35’s. Not those blacks who never down on others.
Mother Nature does its chores like clockwork. It flooded the dam and that is it!!!
All Glory to those patriots, Obbo Seleshi and Gedu!!! I Love You Mother Nature!!!!!
Make that: Not those black folks who never look down on others.
At last, but just the beginning….
Ethiopians of all means have contributed their meager means to help finance it. They and generations to come deserve to benefit from it.
I am a bit worried seeing the color of the water though. Obviously, it resulted from the soil that has eroded from the highlands, but could eventually lead to silt build up at the bottom of the reservoir and reduce the volume of water needed to generate electricity. Reforestation along the river’s route could reduce the erosion, but that is a long term goal. In the mean time, I hope the design includes ways to dig out the soil and use if elsewhere to build fertility…..
The dark brown/reddish color of the water also reveals why Egypt is so bitter, because that same fertile top soil had been fertilizing the desert soil of that country, and the dam would at least slow transfer of Ethiopia’s soil to Egypt. The agriculture of Egypt was/is based on this transfer, as a result of which desert Egypt boasts as having some of the richest and productive agricultural lands in the Middle East. Textile products are Egypt’s high foreign exchange earners, and those are based on cotton grown using Ethiopia’s rich soil and water. Egypt also feeds the Middle East with fruit, vegetables, and a variety of other agricultural products grown using Ethiopia’s soil and water also. Egypt and its Middle East cohorts (such as the Arab League) do not give a damn whether or not Ethiopians suffer in darkness and remain very poor and backward, as long as they continue getting free soil and water from us.
Grateful to the Abiye government for staying the course to stamp out poverty, tackle domestic terrorism, keep at bay external traditional enemies like Egypt, and build diverse base of international relations with Asia (China in particular), Europe, and Latin America, while careful walking with the ‘historical and traditional ally’ that is United States.
I second the Prime Minister in congratulating the glorious people of Ethiopia. It is long time coming. For too long you have been denied to reap the benefits of your own river. No human being gave you the river but Allah!!! There were Almighty reasons why The Good Lord let the river originate just outside your front door: So you can harness it to fit your needs for survival. It is about time you finally found your mojo and there it is right on your dinner table like your legendary bread ready to slice!!!! In doing so make sure to give all those who played valuable roles in paving the way leading to this great day due credits including the late Emperor Haile who did the first doable and extensive survey and those patriotic engineers who pestered and egged the late Prime Minister to start the construction. What can I say about those two fire spitting patriots? Obbo Seleshi and Obbo Gedu. All these countrymen once again make me feel proud to call myself an unrepentant Ethiopian-American!!! Savor the moment my dear countrymen/women.
Lately, there has been this report that the Trump Administration is thinking about severing ties with the old country. They said it will withhold financial assistance which is severing ties when you think about how the assistance has been used. None of it went into the construction of the dam. It has been in the life saving activities and projects. Such report should not be true.
That is a lie. This administration will not withhold financial assistance to the old country. None of its financial aid was ever used in the construction of the dam. No western nation came out condemning it. No African, Asian or Latin American country came out against it. Everyone knows that it was Mother Nature doing its annual chores. The dam was there in May and most of June with no one holding back the river. The river was flowing unabated then and it is still flowing and even with higher volume of water. Mother Nature let the bottom fall out and it rained in buckets. So stop wrongfully accusing those innocent black folks. They mean no harm to their neighbors near or afar. They are exercising their birth rights. Talk to Mother Nature. She will mince no word in telling you how stupid absolutely mooncalf you are. It is July, door knob!!! I know who would be withholding the financial aid. If it was still the Obama administration with Rice in the kitchen, he would.
This article is just another example of yellow journalism aka fake news.
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Egypt says the Nile is a Gift from God … but in reality the Nile is a Gift to Egypt from Ethiopia. When the recipient (Egypt) is arrogant, undeserving, boastful and disparages those who gave it a gift, the gift is taken away. No military, no bombing, no military base, no external destabilizing force will deter Ethiopians from using their own natural resources.
First and foremost, any agreement with Egypt should be dependent on Egypts foreign policies towards Ethiopia. If Egypt disrupts Ethiopian politics, finances external forces against Ethiopia, mistreats Ethiopians we will renounce any agreement with Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti or any country that declares war on Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is a peaceful country and will seek peaceful resolutions. Any middle east country which includes Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Yemen that has in the past mistreated Ethiopian workers in the middle east should be exempted from any GERD talks. Ethiopia should sign agreements with those countries that have mutual understanding and agreement with Ethiopia.