Associated Press reported from Cairo on Monday:
Politicians meeting with Egypt’s president have proposed hostile acts against Ethiopia, including backing rebels and carrying out sabotage, to stop it from building a massive dam over the Nile River.
Some of the politicians attending Monday’s meeting with President Mohammed Morsi appeared unaware it was being carried live on TV. Morsi did not directly react to the suggestions.
Morsi called the meeting to review the impact of Ethiopia’s dam on Egypt’s share of the Nile’s water.
Younis Makhyoun, leader of an ultraconservative Islamist party, said Egypt should back rebels in Ethiopia or, as a last resort, destroy the dam. Liberal politician Ayman Nour proposed spreading rumors about Egypt obtaining advanced warplanes to scare the Ethiopians.
Egypt has in the past threatened to go to war to preserve its water share.
On the other hand, Agance France Press reported from Cairo on the same day:
President Mohamed Mursi Monday warned that Egypt would not allow its share of the Nile to be diminished by “one drop” after Ethiopia began diverting the Blue Nile as part of a giant dam project.
“We cannot let even one drop of Nile water be affected,” Mursi said during talks with political and religious leaders broadcast live on state television.
The talks revolved around a report of a tripartite Egypt-Sudan-Ethiopia commission on Ethiopia’s decision to divert the Blue Nile for a massive dam project, sparking fears of a major impact on downstream states Egypt and Sudan.
“It is necessary that we take steps to ensure Egyptian water security,” Mursi said on his official Twitter account without elaborating.
“The current situation necessitates unity among our ranks to prevent any threat against Egypt.”
Egyptian officials estimate that Ethiopia’s move is largely technical and will not alter the water flow that is vital for both Egypt and Sudan.
But Khaled al-Kazzaz, an adviser to Mursi, said the issue was one of “national security” for Egypt, with the cabinet last Wednesday reiterating that Cairo was opposed to all projects which could affect the flow of the Nile.
The Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Khartoum to form the Nile river which flows through Sudan and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean.
Ethiopia has begun diverting the Blue Nile 500 meters from its natural course to construct a $4.2 billion (3.2 billion euro) hydroelectric project known as Grand Renaissance Dam.
The first phase of construction is expected to be complete in three years, with a capacity of 700 megawatts. Once complete the dam will have a capacity of 6,000 megawatts.
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