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Egypt continues to adhere to a colonial-era water usage policy, as revealed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Weeks after the fourth filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the second round of talks on its filling and operation between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan took place in Addis Ababa from September 23-24, 2023.
Despite two days of intensive discussions, the parties failed to reach an agreement. The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that the Egyptian side has taken a stance that challenges the 2015 Agreement on the Declaration of Principles (DoP).
According to the agreement, one of the key points was to commence reservoir filling while construction is ongoing, ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact Egypt and Sudan’s water shares.
The Ministry expressed concern over Egypt’s persistent adherence to a colonial-era treaty, monopolistic utilization, and self-claimed “water quota,” all of which have impeded significant progress in the negotiations. Notably, around 85 percent of the Nile River originates from the Ethiopian Highlands.
Egypt has been advocating for an exclusive share of Nile water, citing a colonial-era water sharing arrangement to which Ethiopia was not a party.
The outcome of this round of meetings is the identification of potential areas of agreement, signifying progress in the discussions.
This negotiation round focused on the “first filling and annual operation” of the dam. The Ministry’s statement confirms that Ethiopia’s objective in the current trilateral negotiations is to establish guidelines and rules for the first filling and annual operation of GERD, safeguarding Ethiopia’s rights while addressing downstream countries’ legitimate concerns.
A point of confusion arises: discussing the first filling when the fourth filling is already completed. No clarification is given at this writing. Currently, the dam’s reservoir holds approximately 42 billion cubic meters of water, significantly less than its initial design capacity of 74 billion cubic meters.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia declared in early September of this year, upon the completion of the fourth filling, that this would be the final filling. However, his office did not provide an explanation for this statement, given that the dam currently retained only 42 billion cubic meters of water.
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You know, I know and every one else except Egypt knows what those in Al-Qahirah want. They want to take the sole management of the operation of the dam forever. In other words, they want to take the ownership of the dam. What else can you make out of this childish stubbornness? They know and the whole world knows that since the work began on the dam and including during the 4 consecutive fillings the flow of water of the river reaching both Sudan and Egypt has not been reduced even by a teaspoon. Those Super Power wannabes in Cairo want to bully their way into grabbing the dam away from those black folks who want to bring electricity to their homes without harming anyone. That is reckless. All I can say to el-Sisi and to the gang is ‘it-adhub!’ Behave, that is!!!
Borkena’s Good Samaritan Award of this year (2023) goes to revered Mr. Ittu Aba Farda for preaching peace and coexistence among Ethiopians.
Free Holy Synod of Oromiyaa and its Archbishops , Free Bekalu Alamirew
Dismantle mahibrekidusan, subtly sponsoring mass killings of Oromos by fanno genociders.
Subject: “GERD Talk in Addis Ababa ended with no agreement” September 29, 2023
Humble Commentary, 29 Sept 2023
a) ” no agreement” <<>> unknown characteristic to outside atmosphere.
h) And so, Ethiopia must continue with its grace, humble pride, and determination to maintain internationally civilized
relationship.
—————— GOOD LUCK, ETHIOPIA. ——————
Ethiopia’s intentions has been very clear from the beginning as stated time and time again; GERD will not affect downstream countries negatively (though the invitation to have talks about GERD that was initiated by the Ethiopian Government prior to 2011 was based on good intention and good neighborliness, however, in hindsight, and looking at the arrogance displayed by both Egypt and Sudan since then, I would say, the invitation was a mistake, and it shouldn’t have been made at all.;) period.
Our Intentions:
#1, GERD doesn’t affect downstream nations negatively (except it prevents the year after year flooding) .
#2, Since the colonial era water sharing (business) deals (between two British cotton growing companies based in Sudan and Egypt as British colonies should remain “business to business” deals made by two businesses that no longer exist… (Though the 1960’s independent Sudan & Egypt adopted the deal as their own, they need to keep it exclusively between themselves if they agree it meets their modern time needs; but has nothing to do with the other nations the two rivers cross or where the water originates from.
#3, the neighboring countries 9namly Sudan Egypt) could get favorable Electric-power pricing…
#4, GERD will have a potential to create the conditions necessary for the three countries to develop cooperative projects that would help their economic developments, trade, and other neighborly cooperation…
Instead our good intentions revived deep seated insecurities (colonial traumas) harbored by our two partners, that were not anticipated/expected by the Ethiopian side at that time due to our historical realities as an independent nation with no colonial baggage to hold us back… Yet, our “partners” (my favorite Putin’s term), fully aware of our glorious past, would like to pull us into their world (their past) which we have no intention of contemplating let alone joining them. It is not going to happen.
In fact the Sept 1st, 2016 (Gregorian Sept 11, 2023) Ethiopian government statement of “final filling of GERD has been completed” has sealed the deal, on the so-called “three party talks” regarding “the filling and operation of GERD”, period.
GERD filling is complete, the next part of the “three party talks” must be transitioning to include all the 10 countries that white-Nile crosses through to discuss a real and modern day “water sharing” agreements among all. That means we get to keep all winter time overflows diverted to fill a cascade of lakes we need to fill in several locations where can be used for irrigation during the 10 months dry season.
As for Ethiopia, the deal is done, “White-Nile” doesn’t come to Ethiopia therefore there is nothing to get involved with. And as for the “Abbay water” (Blue-Nile) the water that passes through the 13 turbines & left our border is the water Sudan And Egypt need to discuss among themselves, it has already left our territory, therefore we have no say, one way or another.
And all colonial era business deals are for those that were under colonization, and we were never part of any of them; case closed.
Both Turkey and China have built several dams within their territories on rivers that flow to downstream countries and there are no “talks” or any kinds of agreements that need to be signed… then one must ask why here? Here is why, as stated at the beginning above, we invited this barrage of insecurities these people (our two “partners” ) live in… it is self-inflicted, however, we killed it with the term “final filling has been complete”.
Here is my final advice for the Ethiopian government, in regards to “Electric Power export, PRICING”.
Make sure all Electric Power Export deals without exceptions are:
(1) Are SHORT TERM
(2) Conditional to “Market Price” changes. If the buyer was to sell it for a “higher price” to a third party “including local Industry’, during the contract period , the original pricing needs to be adjusted to reflect “price appreciation”. That way we do not become victims of our own “deal” making, or the lack thereof.
Here is a great example of that…
In the 1969 two provinces of Canada signed a deal where one to sell all its electric power output to the other at very low price (but good in 1969) but for the last 50 + years the seller keeps receiving the same agreed upon price , while the buyer has been selling the same power to neighboring US states for 50 times the the price it is buying it for…
The nature of “contracts” once you “sign” on the dotted lines, forget it, you are done.
(That is why Egypt wants Ethiopia to sign a “Binding Agreement”, DO NOT BE A FULL !!!, There is nothing we
(Ethiopia) needs to sign. Walk away!!! ).
Link policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/making-parliament-work/the-churchill-falls-contract-and-why-newfoundlanders-cant-get-over-it/
Be well !!!