Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu said yesterday that Ethiopia has no any intention of what so ever to harm the lower Nile riparian countries in its use of River Nile.
In response to the remark made by the Saudi Deputy Defence Minister, Khalid Bin Sultan, who said Ethiopia is a threat to the Nile water rights of Egypt and Sudan, Alemayehu said both Ethiopia and the rest of other upper Nile riparian countries intend to utilize the water for the purpose of eradicating poverty based on a win-win approach. "There is no project which aims to harm Egypt or Sudan,” he added.
The upper riparian countries have the right to use the Nile water without causing any harm to the lower riparian countries, said Alemayehu.
The Deputy Minister’s remark that the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam is a threat to Khartoum and Cairo is absolutely baseless, he said.
Previous studies have confirmed that the Great Renaissance dam has no negative impact on Sudan and Egypt, and the international panel of experts is already reviewing the dam project. “How can an official from a country which is not even a member of the Nile basin countries make such kind of wrong and groundless remark?" asked the Minister.
Ethiopia is constructing the dam based on international standards of quality which makes Khalid Bin’s remark about the possible collapse of the dam unprofessional.
Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid Bin Sultan was quoted as saying that Ethiopia is constructing the dam for political plotting rather than for economic gain and it is a threat to Egypt and Sudan national security, according to Sudan Tribune.
It is to be recalled that Ethiopia has demanded the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Ethiopia for explanation on the Deputy Defence Minister’s remark.
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* Originally published on the Ethiopian Herald on March 4, 2013, titled "Ethiopia has no intention to harm lower riparian countries : Minister".
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I believe that Ethiopia has full legal right to use its natural resources.Saudiarabia is a very back ward state ruled by traditional monarchy.It has no moral ground to discuss such professional matter.
We love Egyptians, they are our brothers. However it doesn’t mean they are the only one to enjoy live and benefit from their natural resources including to selling to provide free water, health and education to their citizens on the other hand Africans die with hunger and lack of water in their house.
Egypt is trying to attack Ethiopia by offering a separate Nile water management bodies which means dividing Nile cooperation into Blue and White. One Egyptian news paper put this policy as “a blow” to Ethiopia. As it separate Ethiopia from other our African countries for the negotiation. Dr. Nader Noureddine an Egyptian professor in Cairo University suggested this “Kefafle giza” http://gate.ahram.org.eg/News/314614.aspx
So, I thinking a committee organized by Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and “Independent” experts will say the Hidasie dam will have a negative impact just to keep the interest of Egypt. The Ethiopian government shouldn’t participate in this scam. It should learn from Badme mistake. As Turkey says, water in Turkey belongs to Turkey as Oil in Saudi Arabia belongs to Saudi Arabia. Nile Water in Ethiopia belongs to Ethiopia! If we want we can sell it like Lesotho or Malaysia do.
Egypt is overpopulated and overdependent on water it was never entitled to. Ethiopia is practicing far more diplomacy than they have to in trying to be a good neighbour. Egypt had better get it’s house in order and get out of the way or the goodwill of the givers of the water may also run dry.