Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs weekly press release, ‘A week in the Horn’, cautioned against ‘reading too much into’ Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s last Monday assurance to the Egyptian delegation.
The Statement underlined that Ethiopia is not freezing the project nor pulling out of the Cooperative Framework Agreement(CFA). It also seems to downplay the proposed experts’ committee describing it as one that would ‘come to see just how advantageous the project would be to downstream countries.’
What the Prime Minister said to the Egyptian delegation is merely ‘a goodwill gesture, involving no formal overture to the Egyptian government.’ according to the Statement. It may not necessarily involve any change in policy at this point.
The Statement, released on Friday, stated:
some[media outlets] tried to read too much into Prime Minister Meles’ assurance that Ethiopia would not ratify the CFA before Egyptians have an elected government, or before experts from both countries to come to see just how advantageous the project would be to downstream countries. There were suggestions that Ethiopia had agreed to freeze the project or to pull out of the Cooperative Framework Agreement. This is absolutely erroneous. Ethiopia was making a goodwill gesture, involving no formal overture to the Egyptian government. Nor is it clear this involves any change in policy. It certainly doesn’t mean Ethiopia is giving up on the Dam project. Ethiopia believes that a clear understanding of the benefits of the Dam will further facilitate cooperation between the two countries. That’s why it has expressed its willingness to allow a team of experts to study the benefits of the project. Nor is it pulling out of the CFA. It is in fact urging both Egypt and Sudan to join. What it has done is to suspend the ratification of the CFA until Egyptians have an elected government.
Whether such suggestions come from misunderstandings or are deliberately is irrelevant. The important thing is that there is now a platform of dialogue in place. The Egyptian government can now show the political will to use this platform in a genuine spirit of cooperation. The scheduled visit of the Egyptian Prime Minister next week will hopefully pave the way for such an understanding. This will allow for the pursuit of genuine cooperation in the best interests of the peoples of the three countries straddled by the Abbai River, the Blue Nile.
Though the Statement made this remark in the context of correcting some Egyptian media who ‘read too much into’ Prime Minister Meles’s statement, it could as well be directed to the opposition websites in the Ethiopian diaspora.
No renegotiation: The statement also noted that there would be no renegotiation on the CFA(Cooperative Framework Agreement on Nile). It stated:
As the delegation suggested giving the process more time to allow for Egypt to elect a new government and vote for a new constitution, Prime Minister Meles said the Ethiopian government was ready to delay the legislative process of the CFA. This would not be for any renegotiation, but to allow ample time for the new reality in Egypt to look thoroughly at the Comprehensive Agreement.
Commenting on the Egyptian delegation, the statement said:
With regard to Egypt, there have been equally encouraging signs. The recent visit by an Egyptian Public Diplomacy Group has raised a number of interesting debates over the past suspicions and distrust. While not strictly a governmental delegation, it was composed of presidential candidates, representatives of many grass roots movements and political parties, intellectuals and representatives of religious groups. The level of enthusiasm they showed and the candid discussions with Ethiopian officials created a high level of pleasant surprise here in Ethiopia. We do not know how far the euphoric reaction of delegation may be shared by the Egyptian political establishment, not is it clear to what extent the delegation can influence the government’s position, but their visit certainly lays down the possibilities for a furtherance of dialogue between two peoples governments. What is important is the fact that a dialogue is opening up and there are some in Egypt who have had the audacity to challenge received wisdom when it comes to relations between our two countries. Equally important, there are now movements in Egypt that are amenable to dialogue when it comes to addressing issues of common interest such as the Nile.
Regarding Sudan, the Statement had this to say:
The attitude of many politicians in Sudan, and perhaps also the government, seems to be one of positive expectation towards the Dam. There appears to be a realization that the Dam will give many benefits to the Sudan, not just cheap power, but also irrigation as well as the prevention of flooding and siltation that have caused so much havoc. There also appears to be political will on the part of the government to give dialogue a chance on matters of mutual interest covering the Nile and other issues. This should go a long way to allay the fears and concerns of those who view any such developments with suspicion, even malice. The government of Ethiopia has also been doing its level best to avoid any misunderstandings. It has expressed its good will both by engaging Sudan on issues of cooperation and also going out of its way to explain the project in detail. This seems to be working, dialogue has been opened and both sides appear to be willing to give it a chance.
The press release addressed the issue in two sections which also summarize the visit of the Egyptian delegation. Both are posted below.
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Budding Regional Cooperation in the Eastern Nile area?
The Grand Renaissance Dam has mobilized Ethiopians from all corners of the world in the manner of no other cause in recent history. It has proved a stronger bond than ethnic, religious, political or any other affiliation. It is no exaggeration to say that it is in fact further cementing the unity of Ethiopians in a manner to help ensure Ethiopia’s Renaissance in the shortest possible time. At the same time, developments in the last couple of weeks have also shown there is more to the Dam’s significance than the sense of unity and camaraderie it has aroused among Ethiopians of all persuasions. It also provided a source of cooperation among riparian states, and more particularly the two downstream countries that were previously impervious to the idea of cooperation over the Nile. The Grand Renaissance Dam appears to be giving a strong impetus to something that decades of negotiations have failed to do.
The attitude of many politicians in Sudan, and perhaps also the government, seems to be one of positive expectation towards the Dam. There appears to be a realization that the Dam will give many benefits to the Sudan, not just cheap power, but also irrigation as well as the prevention of flooding and siltation that have caused so much havoc. There also appears to be political will on the part of the government to give dialogue a chance on matters of mutual interest covering the Nile and other issues. This should go a long way to allay the fears and concerns of those who view any such developments with suspicion, even malice. The government of Ethiopia has also been doing its level best to avoid any misunderstandings. It has expressed its good will both by engaging Sudan on issues of cooperation and also going out of its way to explain the project in detail. This seems to be working, dialogue has been opened and both sides appear to be willing to give it a chance.
With regard to Egypt, there have been equally encouraging signs. The recent visit by an Egyptian Public Diplomacy Group (see above) has raised a number of interesting debates over the past suspicions and distrust. While not strictly a governmental delegation, it was composed of presidential candidates, representatives of many grass roots movements and political parties, intellectuals and representatives of religious groups. The level of enthusiasm they showed and the candid discussions with Ethiopian officials created a high level of pleasant surprise here in Ethiopia. We do not know how far the euphoric reaction of delegation may be shared by the Egyptian political establishment, not is it clear to what extent the delegation can influence the government’s position, but their visit certainly lays down the possibilities for a furtherance of dialogue between two peoples governments. What is important is the fact that a dialogue is opening up and there are some in Egypt who have had the audacity to challenge received wisdom when it comes to relations between our two countries. Equally important, there are now movements in Egypt that are amenable to dialogue when it comes to addressing issues of common interest such as the Nile.
At the same time, there are pitfalls to guard against. Much of the coverage of the visit by the Egyptian media was positive and accurate, but some tried to read too much into Prime Minister Meles’ assurance that Ethiopia would not ratify the CFA before Egyptians have an elected government, or before experts from both countries to come to see just how advantageous the project would be to downstream countries. There were suggestions that Ethiopia had agreed to freeze the project or to pull out of the Comprehensive Framework Agreement. This is absolutely erroneous. Ethiopia was making a goodwill gesture, involving no formal overture to the Egyptian government. Nor is it clear this involves any change in policy. It certainly doesn’t mean Ethiopia is giving up on the Dam project. Ethiopia believes that a clear understanding of the benefits of the Dam will further facilitate cooperation between the two countries. That’s why it has expressed its willingness to allow a team of experts to study the benefits of the project. Nor is it pulling out of the CFA. It is in fact urging both Egypt and Sudan to join. What it has done is to suspend the ratification of the CFA until Egyptians have an elected government.
Whether such suggestions come from misunderstandings or are deliberately is irrelevant. The important thing is that there is now a platform of dialogue in place. The Egyptian government can now show the political will to use this platform in a genuine spirit of cooperation. The scheduled visit of the Egyptian Prime Minister next week will hopefully pave the way for such an understanding. This will allow for the pursuit of genuine cooperation in the best interests of the peoples of the three countries straddled by the Abbai River, the Blue Nile.
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Egypt’s Public Diplomacy Delegation concludes its visit
As we noted in last week’s edition of a Week in the Horn, a high level Egyptian Public Diplomacy Delegation arrived in Ethiopia on April 29th. Their visit ended on Monday, May 2nd after what appeared to have been a most useful, valuable and rewarding visit with the delegation meeting numerous senior officials and holding an extensive exchange of views with Prime Minister Meles.
On arrival at Bole International Airport, members of delegation were welcomed by Ato Daoud Mohammed, State Minister of Culture and Tourism, accompanied by an Ethiopian traditional music group. The Egyptian delegation, led by Mr. Mustafa Al-Gendi, consist three presidential candidates, members of parliament, and intellectuals from universities, members of different political parties and of the revolutionary youth movement of January 25th. The next day they were received by the Speakers of House of People‘s Representatives and the House of Federation. The Speakers underscored the benefits of people-to-people diplomacy for Egypt and for Ethiopia, and briefed the delegation on Ethiopia’s progress in general and recent achievements in the economic sector. These, of course, require massive amounts of electricity to sustain them as does the Growth and Transformation Plan. The Speakers both underlined that the building of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would not cause problems to either Sudan and Egypt but would rather bring a number of benefits to the lower riparian states. It would protect the Sudan from catastrophic floods and ensure a continuous and sustainable flow of water. The aim of the project was not to cause any harm but to enhance the welfare and prosperity for all the Nile Basin countries.
The Egyptian delegation expressed its relief to see that the project would not cut the flow to downstream countries or affect Egyptian farmers. They noted that they did not agree with the agreements of 1929 and 1959 and advocated the need for a new chapter to be opened among the Nile Riparian States. They said they were confident that the Ethiopian Government would not try to improve the welfare of the people of Ethiopia at the expense of the people of Egypt.
The delegation also met with his Holiness, Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church while Ethiopian Christians were celebrating the festival of Dagmawi Tensaè. In his address to the congregation, His Holiness elaborated the historical and cultural ties between Ethiopia and Egypt. Members of the delegation, including both Muslim and Christian representatives, delivered speeches on the links between the two countries. The delegation and the congregation prayed together for both Ethiopia and Egypt. Subsequently, the delegation also met with intellectual community of the Addis Ababa University. They exchanged views on the issue of the Nile Waters. They also agreed for exchange programs and scholarships for their students and lecturers.
President Girma Woldegiorgis hosted a dinner for the delegation on Sunday. In a statement, the President expressed his confidence that the visit would consolidate and enhance relations between two countries that were, after all, indissolubly linked by the Nile River, the gift of God, of Allah, to all the communities of the Nile Basin. He said the Nile was a vital resource for survival, for development and for security with the potential to reduce poverty and realize peace among all riparian states. Past failure to co-operate meant its resources had not been developed as they might have been. Now the Comprehensive Cooperative Framework Agreement based on principles of an equitable and reasonable utilization of the water and, above all, the obligation not to cause harm to other riparian states, had been drawn up. He hoped all the riparian states would sign it. The President underlined Ethiopia’s efforts to eradicate poverty, and address the impacts of climate change, recurrent drought, environmental degradation and famine. It would be a lengthy process, and that was why the “Ethiopian Renaissance Dam”, a major element in the Growth and Transformation Plan was so important. The Dam would provide cheap and sustainable power to allow the full mobilization of resources and unlock economic development on a much wider level, allowing for the export of “green” power to neighbors and other states in the Nile Basin. Other benefits would include resolving problems of siltation, ensuring a continuous and sustainable flow of water and increasing the amount of water available by lowering the rate of evaporation significantly. The President emphasized that it was in the interest of all to build a solid foundation for social and economic cooperation and development. “Tied together by our river, our destinies must lie alongside each other. We must not let the past govern our actions today. Water is not a commodity to be divided but a benefit to be shared”.
The President hoped the meetings the delegation had with senior government officials and others would give them a real understanding of Ethiopia’s struggle to address the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment, and the need for a spirit of cooperation and understanding. Genuine negotiations and collective bilateral actions could pave the way for much needed closer environmental, economic and cultural developments. The President took the opportunity to congratulate the delegation and the people of Egypt for their success in dealing with recent challenges. He expressed his confidence that their efforts would be crowned with sustainable peace, development and democracy.
The Egyptian delegation’s final round of talks was an extensive discussion with Prime Minister Meles who welcomed the delegation warmly. The delegation told the Prime Minister that Egypt was going back to its African roots which had been forgotten by the previous regime whose policies had resulted in injustice and the isolation of the Egyptian people. Members elaborated the objectives of the recent revolution in Egypt including equality, dignity and respect for the rights of people. They expressed their fervent hope that the new dispensation would usher in a new era in relations between Egypt and Africa in general and the Nile Basin countries in particular. They noted that Ethiopia had the right to use the Nile waters to develop, and expressed their hope that this effort would also consider fully the rights of the Egyptian people. The delegation expressed its belief that previous policies did not create conducive atmosphere in the Nile Basin and this should now change for the better.
After congratulating the delegation and the Egyptian people for their recent success in addressing the challenges the country had faced peacefully, the Prime Minister emphasized that the visit would open a new era in Ethiopia/Egypt relations. He noted that all Ethiopian patriarchs had been appointed from Egypt until the 1950s, and that this had sometimes created constitutional crises when delays occurred preventing the anointing of an emperor. This had even provoked empty threats of blocking the Nile. He mentioned the iniquities of the agreements of 1929 and 1959. The 1929 agreement, signed between the British and its colonies, for the sole benefit of the cotton farms of Egypt; the 1959 agreement, the Agreement between Egypt and the Sudan, was for full utilization of the Nile Waters without taking into consideration the interests of any other stakeholders. Ethiopia was not a party to either, and its leaders had rejected both as unjust.
The Prime Minister detailed Ethiopia’s efforts to change its relations with its neighbors including Egypt immediately after the fall of the military regime in 1991. He recalled the first bilateral agreement signed between Ethiopia and Egypt in 1902. That had included the commitment of the Emperor Minelik not to block the flow of the Nile River at Lake Tana. The more recent bilateral agreement in 1994 had stipulated the issue of equitable utilization and Ethiopia’s agreement not to cause significant harm to others in any utilization of the waters of the Nile. Unfortunately it had not proved possible to implement this.
The Prime Minister also detailed the process of negotiations for the Comprehensive Framework Agreement that has so far been signed by all but three members of the Nile Basin Initiative. He mentioned the challenges and intimidation that some of the members had faced from the previous Egyptian government. He stressed that the CFA was the best agreement to usher in a new era for the utilization of the Nile waters for the common good. No Egyptian government, he said, should have a problem to sign it. As the delegation suggested giving the process more time to allow for Egypt to elect a new government and vote for a new constitution, Prime Minister Meles said the Ethiopian government was ready to delay the legislative process of the CFA. This would not be for any renegotiation, but to allow ample time for the new reality in Egypt to look thoroughly at the Comprehensive Agreement.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Ethiopia had done all the necessary studies to make that building the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile just 40kms from Sudan would not harm the interests of the lower riparian states but brings benefits to both Sudan and Egypt as well as Ethiopia. The Dam would only generate electricity, and would replace the evaporation lost from dams in the lower riparian states. He told the delegation that Egypt, in collaboration with other interested parties, could send experts to look jointly at the reality with Ethiopian experts, and confirm that the project would not harm the Egyptian people. This could close that chapter and move on. He said the Nile River should be looked at as a network within the Nile Basin that could benefit all stakeholders equitably. The new revolution in Egypt was for justice and the dignity of the Egyptian people and he hoped this would be replicated in the utilization of the Nile waters. He reassured the delegation that Ethiopia would endeavour to ensure that the Nile waters were used equitably among all riparian states; he expected all riparian states to show reciprocal policies and attitudes.
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