by Desalegn Sisay
Ethiopia and Egypt have moved a significant step, this week, towards leveling their bumpy relations. The two countries have agreed to strengthen their economic collaborations to enhance their overall relations in a backdrop of a longstanding disagreement over the Nile’s water resources. Whether or not this agreement stands to disrupt ongoing negotiations within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative, the answers remain vague.
Leading a delegation of ministers and companies during his visit last week to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, Egyptian Prime Minister, Ahmed Nazif appended his signature to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 to establish an Ethiopia-Egypt Council of Commerce.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who chaired the meeting said that the relationship between the two countries has turned from distrust to a friendly cooperation.
The Nile River resource has been a bone of contention between the two countries for over a decade.
For over a decade now, the nine riparian countries of the Nile River have been involved in numerous rounds of negotiations within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative [1] aimed at solving their disagreements over the river’s resources, and also to establish the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework for the establishment of a permanent river basin commission.
With 38 articles established to date within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative, Egypt and Sudan are the only countries (among member countries) to oppose a final but essential article that proposes equal sharing of the Nile water resource. The two countries have rather recommended an assertion that will protect their current water quota.[2]
A shift
This partnership agreement comes despite the two countries’ seemingly strong disagreement over the Nile issue, which has led to considerable tensions in Ethiopia-Egypt relations. There has been no official announcement as to whether or not Egypt has changed its stance on the water sharing issue.
Analysts at the Ministry of Water Resources in Ethiopia believe that Egypt’s new strategic relations with Ethiopia will most likely lead to a shift in Ethiopia’s position [3] on the water sharing subject.
Observers have also said that a suggestion by the Ethiopian PM during the MoU ceremony, which indicated that the two countries will, from henceforth, develop the Nile Basin jointly through the Nile Basin Initiative, confirms a future shift. Egyptian Prime Minister, Ahmed Nazif also announced that the two nations had reached a consensus to work together, while insisting that the Egyptian government would do everything possible to enhance the trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Member of the visiting delegation, Mohamed Allam, Irrigation Minister of Egypt also threw some light on the Nile basin issue ahead of the visit. He revealed that Ethiopia has proposed building three medium-sized dams on the Blue Nile to generate electricity for industrial purposes. “We have agreed to the offer as long as it does not affect Egypt’s Nile water quota,” Mr. Allam said.
Huge investments
The first Egyptian delegation headed by Mrs. Fayza Aboulnaga, Minister of International Cooperation was in Ethiopia in October last year. The delegation, which included Amin Abaza, Minister of Agriculture & Land Reform and more than 90 owners, leaders and representatives of nine giant Egyptian companies, met with various Ethiopian officials, including Minister Tefera Derebew of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development who promised agricultural plots to the business delegates.
Among the delegation headed by Mr.Ahmed Nazif were 26 agriculture companies who aspired to inspect the land proposed by Tefera. Most of them have expressed their interest to grow sugar cane and also engage in meat exportation.
Before meeting with PM Meles, PM Nazif visited Elsewedy, an Egyptian cable factory that inaugurated its Ethiopian branch two months ago in Dukem 37 kilometres East of Addis Ababa in the Oromia region. The cable company has also submitted a proposal to Girma Birru, Minister of trade and industry, requesting a huge plot of land for the construction of an industrial zone. This demand should be approved in the coming week.
……..
(1) Formally launched in 1999 by the 9 riparian countries made up of Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Egypt, Sudan, Rwanda, the Nile Basin Initiative is a partnership that seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security.
(2) An agreement signed in 1959 between Egypt and Sudan allowed Egypt alone to use 55.5 billion cubic meters (87% of the Nile’s flow) and Sudan 18.5 cubic metres of water each year. Ethiopia, which contributes more than 80 percent of the water to the Nile basin, and the rest of the riparian countries were left out
(3)An Ethiopian proposed article that deals with the possibility of water sharing without causing significant harm to other riparian countries has caused negotiating countries to split into two major blocks: Upper riparian countries, consisting of a host of countries under Ethiopia’s leadership including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo
Source: Afrik
DREAR WORLD
WHAT DOES KENYA AND RUWANADA,BERUNDE, TANZENIA SO ON GOT ANY THING TO DO WITH THE NILE RIVER?
I DONT KNOE ABOUT KONGO BECOUSE I DONT KNOW
WHERE KONGO IS GEOGRAPHICLY AND I DONT KNOW WHERE THE NILE REVER GOWS TO PAST EGYPT
BUT I KNOW IT HAS NOTHING TO DO KENYA AND BLA,BLA BLA………
ETHIOPIA, SUDAN EGYPT AND WHERE EVER IT GOWS AFTER THAT MAKES SENC TO ME WHEN IT COMES TO
TALKS ABOUT SHAIRING THE WATER AND WHAT KIND OF SHAIR AND SO ON.
WELL TA LEAST EGYPT IS UGREEING WITH MELES TO CREAT DUMS FROM THE NILE RIVER. I DONT KNOW
HOW MAINY DAME’S ETHIOPIA NEEDS AND GOING TO BEULD.
WHAT WE REALY NEED IS TO USE SOME OF THE WATER FOR IREGATION. BEULDING DAM’S WOULDEN AFECT
EGYPT OR SUDAN AY WAYS.NOT THAT WE WANT TO AFECT THEM IN BAD WAYS WE JUST NEED AT LEAST
SOME OF THE WATER FOR IRIGATION.
AND I DONT SEE EGYPT FARMING SHUGAR CAN AND BUYING MEET FROM ETHIOPIA WHEN MILLIONS OF ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE DONT
HAVE ANY THING TO EAT.
MAY BE THIS ARE PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER ON SERVIVAL OF AFRICA ON THE EXEPENC OF THE ETHIOPIAN
PEOPLES LIFE’S.
YOU KNOW MOST ETHIOPIANS ALMOST ALL SAY’S THAT THEY ARE ONLY ETHIOPIANS MOST OF THE TIME
BESIDES WE LIVE IN THE COUNTINET AFRICA ALMOST NO BODY NO BODY AFRICAN NATIONS TREATS ETHIOPIA
AND ITS PEOPLE US AFRICANS OR AT LIST HAVE ALITIL CONECTION WITH ETHIOPIA EVEN IF IT IS A JUSCHER.
NO.
ONE CAN SAY AFRICANS ARE BLAK PEOPLE BUT IF YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE YOU CAN EVEN TELL THE DIFFIRENS
BETWEEN THE DARK SKEEN ETHIOPIANS AND DARK SKEEN SUDANIS AND THAT MOST OF THE TIME HARD TO TELL. AND WE DONT SAY TO THOSE DARK SKEEN ETHIOPANS THAT THEY ARE AFRICANS. WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE ETHIOPIANS. AFRICA IS A NAME OF
OUR COUNTINET ANY WAYS NOT A NAME OF A COUNTRY. AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT.
I BELIV WE ETHIOPIANS KNOW THAT. SO WE SAY ‘THAT GUY/GERIL IS AN AFRICAN’ NO NEED TO TO KNOW WHICH COUNTRY. NOT THAT WE TAKE
OUR SELVES AS A FRENCH MAN OR SOME AND WE ALSO KNOW OUR HISTORY AND MAJORTY ARE ISREALY AND SOME OTHER COUNTRY’S MIXED PEOPLE BUT WE HAVE
ATLEAST LESS WHITE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY US CITIZENS THAN MOST OF OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRYS.
I PERSONALY DONT HAT WHIT PEOPLE BECOUS THAY ARE WHIT OR BECOUS THEY ARE IN MY COUNTRY.
NOW I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY FOR ALL I KNOW.
AND IF IT IS ABOUT SLEVERY OR SLAVING PEOPLE. I BILIVE MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WOR MAD SLAVES
WOR POOR PEOPLE THAT DIDN’T HAVE A LAND OR A COW OR A SHIP ………….
AND IT WAS SOME THING THAT EVERY BODY WAS DOING.
THERE WAS SLAVE OWNERS THAT WAS AFRICANS ALL OVER AFRICA. I BILIV IT WAS A WAY TO MAKE PEOPLE
WORK SINC THERE WASNT SUCH THING AS EDUCATION OT JOB’S. AND STUF AND BESID’S I THINK MOST OF THE
TIME THEY DID THAT TO HELP THOS PEOPLE ANTIL IT BECAM TOTAL BUSSNES FOR THE ARABS AND UROPIAN’S
AND AFRICAN SLAVE TRADERS.
AT LEAST ONE THING POSETIV CAM OUT OF IT. AND THAT IS EDUCATION. AND A WORLD THAT SPEAKS AND WRITS IN ENGLISH
AND FRENCH, ARABIC AND SO ON AND THATS GOOD TO COMUNICAT FOR THE WORLD. IT MADE THE WORLD MUCH SMALLER. WHICH I THINK IS GOOD. BESIDS IT IS A HARSH REAYALITY HOW THAT HAPEND.
THE THING IS THERE AREN’T ANY WHIT PEOPLE OR JEUSH PEOPLE AMERICAN PEOPLE LIVING IN ETHIOPIA.
FOR WHAT EVER HAT OR LOVE MY BE THEY SHOULD LIVE IN OUR COUNRTY FIRST.
DONT YOU THINK????????????? I THINK THEY PROBABLY SHOULD.
The thing is Meles knows how he comes to Ethiopia. That is through the help of countries like Sudan, Egypt and Libiya who through out history never want to see a growing Ethiopia that can fully exploite its natural resource ,like the Nile, without approval of any other country.
They know from history that this holly land has a special people who defends their country and so they support cowards like meles since he profoundly told em that he is not like other ethiopian leaders who is worried about the People of Ethiopian and as a matter of fact the nation Ethiopia. So they will give him a loaf of bread and keep him in power.
I BELIVE WHAT ABEBE MEREW SAYED IS VERY TRUE.
SO WE URGE THIS PEOPLE TO CHANG THEIR MINDS AND HELP ETHIOPIA.WE DONT WANT WAR WITH THIS
PEOPLE OR WITH TPLF OR EPRDF.
AND WE URGE ALL COUNTRYS AND LEADERS TO STOP DEALING WITH TPLF OR EPRDF ON ANY BUSSINES ON ANY LEVEL.THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE THEY ARE WORKING FOR THEM SELVES.THEY DONT
REPRESENT MAJORTY ETHIOPIANS.
Egypt is trying to didvide the nile basin’s negitatiotors . and TPLF is ready to betray any thing especially at this time.
When you are talking about who is getting the Nile water and who is not melese is going full power in disintegrating the country.Stop the pity stuff and concentrate on the life and death matter instead.Support our freedom fighters and liberate your country.
I FOUND OUT JUST KNOW THAT THERE IS THE WHITE NILE THAT GOWS TO KENYA TANZANIA AND ALL OF
THOSE PLAC’S AND I THINK THERE ARE MORE RIVERS THAT GOWS TO KANYA AND SOMALIA.
SO WHEN WE SAY THIS REPARIAN COUNTRYS AND ETHIOPIA ARE LEFT OUT OF THIS DEAL,ARE WE SAYING
ETHIOPIA DINID THE USE OF IT’S WATER AND EGYPT AND SUDAN ARE GUYDING THE WATER FROM ITS BASEN
WHICH IS IN SUDAN I BELIVE.
OR FROM WHERE IT SPLITS TO BECAM THE WHIT NILE GUYDING IT TO THEIR COUNTRYS ONLY?????????????
SUDAN SIMS LIKE IN BISSINES WITH EGYPT.
WHEN IS ANFAIRNESS FAIR IF THAT ANFAIRNESS IS STILL ANFAIR TO SOME BADY?????????????
I BILIVE WAY THEY KEEP MOST PARTS OF ETHIOPIA SPECIALY GOJAM WHICH THE NILE FLOWS FROM AND PROBABLY TIGRAY WHICH THE TEKEZE RIVER FLOWS FROM, SO POOR NO PROPER EDUCATION NO HOSPITALS
NO POSITIVE DEVLOPEMENT AND SEPARETED POLETICAL STAND(TPLF)THAT SAPARETED THE POWR FROM THE
PEOPLE AND THE GOV. FROM THE PEOPLE A GOV.THAT WAS HELPED BY EGYPT SUDAN LIBIA AND GOD KNOWS
WHO ELES .I AM SURE IF THEY HAVENT CLAMED THIS PART OF ETHIOPIA OR ETHIOPIA INDIRECTLY ALREADY,
I AM SURE THAT IS THEIR PLAN IN THE FUTUER.
WE HAVE TO STOP THIS PEOPLE. WE CAN NOT ALAW THEM TO DO THIS TO OUR COUNTRY AND OUR
PEOPLE I BELIVE WAY MOST PEOPLE ARE STARVING TO DAY AND THEIR IS NO FREEDOM, ALL IS CREATED BECOUSE OF THE
POLITICAL SISTEM OF TODAYS ETHIOPIA. AND THIS I BILIVE IS DONE DELEBERATLY TO REDUCE THE
POPULATION. THE LESS NUMBER OF PEOPLE THE MORE LAND FOR THEM IF THEY ARE REALY OUT TO COLONIS
ETHIOPIA. AND THE LESS AND THE POOR THE
THE DIVIDED THE BETER FOR THE ENAMY.AND ASLO THE REASON WAY MOLESS IS SELLING SOMANY LANDS
AND WAY THE REASON WITH HIS DEVLOPEMENT AGENDA MILLION BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTEMENTS
IN ETHIOPIA WITH WILL LEAV ETHIOPIA WITH A DETH THAT WILL AFECT GENERATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE.
AND THE REASON WAY WE ARE LAND LOCKED AND WE CAN’T USE OUR RIVRS FOR IRRIGATION AND ALSO I
THINK WAY THEY CHANGED THE SCHOOL SISTEM WHETHER THAT WORKS POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY,
I BILIVE ALL IS DONE TO WEAKEN OUR NATION. THIER WAS ALSO SOME KANYAN DELEGATES RECENTLY IN ETHIOPIA ASKING ETHIOPIA NOT TO USE THE OMO RIVER THE REVER THAT FLOWS TO LAKE TURKANA
I BELIVE THAT IS IN KENYA.
SO HOW DO ALL OF THIS COUNTRYS INCLUDING THEIR AMERICAN OR UROPIAN AND AREBIAN SUPORETERS
ANDFREINDS SAY HOW ETHIOPIANS SHOULD LIVE???????????????????????????????????????? IS THEIR BOOLD
THIKER THAN OURS. AND WHAT DID THE ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE DO TO TPLF.WAY IN THE WORLD ARE THEY DOING
ALL OF THIS FOR????????????????????????.
Gigi, I am as baffled as you are. The nile which gathers flowing water at from the various tributaries at the watershed basin goes throgh Sudan to Egypt as it final destination to empty itself at the red sea,according to the map above, I persume. The other countries they are refering to are perhaps included in the negotiations since the blue Nile joins the white NIle at some point init journey to Egypt. As the saying goes, “Yabyin Lij woha Wuha Temaw”, Egypt and an Sudan are enjoying the Lion share of this water resources, coming from watersheds of Ethiopian highlands along with soils and possibly now fertilizers applied to undulating terain in the highlands that is is washed off with heavy rains, when it comes, if it comes, with little or no gains on productivity, leaving farmers in debt with the TPLF enterprises. Not only that it has an environmental impact by poluting the streams where cattle and people depend for their drinking water, in a country their is no program for environmental impact statement/report before a fertilizer policy was implemented, nor is there a soil conservation practices implemented to hold the soil and fertilizer in place for the major part.
To add an insult to an injury Ethiopia has never been a major beneficiary of the water resources from time immomorial by building dams to hold the water to generate electricity and produce creals under irrigation on the land resources. Without resolving that equitable distribution of water resources from the Blue Nile at least among the three major players to develop the land for irrigation the TPLF/eprdf regime is now making deals with Egypt to develop lands for cane sugar plantations and irriggation water for livestock production and a strip of land along the western border to the Sudan Government. The TPLF/eprdf regime has been making the silent majority of Ethiopians as the saying goes”Yebeyi Temekach”, and are continuing to do so by giving out land to forign corporations and governments. Is neocolonialism by internal and external governments and corporations in a country, where land has never been sold to foreigners on top of exploitations by TPLF and TPLF affiliated enterprises of ethiopia and the silent majority of Ethiopians becoming a reality? The only difference is this scenario is not dominated by one country, but may countries.
Corrigendum: Instead of Red Sea, it should Read Medditeranean Sea.
YOU CAN NOT DEVLOP A COUNTRY BY TAKING THE FARMERS GOOD LAND AND GINIG A POOR LAND.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY BY FORCING THE FARMER TO TAKE FIRTILAZATION THAT THEY HAVE TO
PAY FOR
YOU CAN NOT DEVLOP A COUNTRY BY TAKING THE FARMERS COW,OXENS AND SHIPS AND HIS HOUS IN THE
NAME OF FIRTILAYZATION.
YOU CAN NOT DEVLOP A COUNTRY BY MAKING IT LAND LOKED.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY BY SELLING ITS ARABEL LAND.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY BY POISENING ITS LAKES AND RIVIRS.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY BY DESTROING ITS HISTORY AND HERITAG.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY WHEN DESTROING A NATIONAL LANGUJ.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY WITH OUT A FREE PRESS AND GENERAL OR AGREED ON DIMOCRACY IN THE COUNTRY.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY WHEN DIVIDING A UNITED PEOPLE BY ETNIC POLITIC’S.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY BY BY NOT USING YOUR WATER RESOURCES.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY BY OUT SOURSING ALL THE ETHIOPIAN NATURAL
RESOURSES.AND WITH OUR ANY BENEFIT FOR THE PEOPLE.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY BY PUSHING AWAY AID GROOPS THAT WANTS TO
HELP THE FAMIN STRICKEN NATION.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY WHEN URESTING AND TORCHERING OPOSITION
POLITICAL PARTYS.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY BY KILING PEACE FULL PROTESTERS.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY BY CALLING SOME BODY IDIOT THAT LEND YOU
ITS HAND TO FEED TO YOUR PEOPLE.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY BY WORKING KNOWN TERRORIST GOVERNMENTS
LIKE IRAN AND SO ON.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY WHEN WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE NOT SAFE FROM
FROM MUSILIM EXTRIMIST TERRORIST ATAK’S. YOU DONT EVEN TALK ABOUT IT AS AN ISUE EXEPT
TERRORIZING A TERRORIZED NATION IN A NAME OF TERRORIZEM.
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELOPING A COUNTRY BY PUTING A NATIONS POTENTIAL AND MONY AND
TREASURS IN PRIVETIZED CAPANY’S LIKE EFORET IN NAME OF TIGRAY AND SO ON AND BY PUTING IT IN YOUR POCAT.
YOU CAN NOT DEVELOP A COUNTRY WITH OUT CARING FOR IT IN GENERAL. YOU HAVE TO CAR FOR ITS SAFTY SECURITY AND WELL BING FIRST.
AND ALSO YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVLOPING THE COUNTRY BY DISTROUNG ITS FORSTS
YOU CAN NOT SAY YOU ARE DEVELPOING THE COUNTRY WHEN WE KNOW EXEPT SOME TIGRAYANS
PEOPLE AND STATS OR RIGEMS ARE TREATED MOST ANFAIRLY.
SO ATO MELES I AM SURE YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR ALL OF THIS QUATIONS EXEPT IFTHEIR IS A TRUE
ANSEWR TO THIS WE KNOW YOU WONT TELL US OR WE PROBABLY HEARD IT ALREADY BESIDS THE QUATION
IS NOT ANSEWRD.
WHETHER IT IS YOUR STUPIDITY OR CRULITY. I BELIV IT IS BOTH. IT IS STUPID AND AND IT IS CRUL.
DORON SYATALELUAT BEMECHANGA TALUAT MEBALEW TERT, SAYKELEN AYIKERM.
Gigi as the saying goes “Awoke Yetegna Diaspora elite biqeseqisut Aysemam”. The major media are controlled by by those supporters of TPLF/eprdf regime looking for the lesser of two evils, those that are implicated with current regime, those that put their self interest ahead of the national interest and want to maintain the status quo, those who believe egizihabeher yametawin egzer iskimelsew min madreg yichalal and those thare neutral and those wo put their ethnicity before Ethiopiawinet. With type of alignment knowingingly or unkwingly with the negative forces of integration and the support and media blitz of the major media engaged in insulting and caricaturing the the leader of the current regime without substantiatiated argument for and focus on the Unity, Territorial Integrity, Sovereignity of Ethiopia and Ethiopians, which are at stake. For UDJP to fold in with parties with ethnic agenda is calling for another form of ethnic dictatorship, which does not alleviate the political and economic strangle hold of the country and its people by TPLF, and TPLF affiliated enterprizes and more.
Addendum: My comment is also in support of “Akaki Zeraf”.
WHO CAM UP WITH THE NAME RED SEA BY THE WAY? THE AIRTIRIAN SEA IS THE AIRTRIAN SEA.
THE MEDITRENIAN IS THE MEDITRENIAN.
I WAY I AM SAYING THIS SOME BODY TOLD ME THE NAME OF THE RED SEA USE TO BE AIRTIRAN SEA (YEAIRTRA
BAHER) AND WHAT IS FUNY FROM ‘AHA” SAID, EGYPT IS ALSO CALLING ITS SEA RED SEA.
BY THE WAY ‘YABAYIN LEG WUA TEMAW YELACHIN LIG KEMAK BELAW’ BENEL YISHALL.