President Trump is putting pressure on Ethiopia in the ongoing negotiation with Egypt over the Ethiopian Dam, protesters accuse. A bigger protest could occur in Ethiopia.
Some of Ethiopian Protesters in front of State department in Washington. photo credit : VOA Amharicborkena
February 27, 2020
Hundreds of Ethiopians staged a protest rally on Thursday morning in front of the United States State Department in Washington D.C.
They opposed President Donald Trump’s government pressure on Ethiopia in the negotiation effort on the operation and filling of the Ethiopian Dam.
“Stop pressuring Ethiopia,” Ethiopians chanted in front of the U.S. State Department.
“Mr. Secretary, 100+ million people deserve a fair share of the Nile,” reads another placard that Ethiopians carried during the demonstration.
Tibebu Assefa is one of the coordinators of the protest rally. He told D.W. Amharic that “Abay [Nile] is a matter of existence for all Ethiopians.”
Ethiopian Protester. Photo credit : VOA AmharicEthiopians say the Trump administration is putting unfair pressure on Ethiopia to make Egypt get away with Ethiopia’s right to generate electric power from the mega-dam project on the Nile River – the longest in the world over 80 percent of the volume of Water originates from Ethiopia.
Protesters also demanded the Ethiopian government to make public all details regarding problems in the negotiation. The government has been under pressure locally too.
Based on citizen reports and conversation on social media, public opinion seems to be swinging towards the view that the USA and the World Bank are not neutral “mediators” or observers as they call themselves. Going forward, there seems to be an interest in carrying the negotiation through African mediators or other neutral state actors from outside of Africa.
Those advocating for that position argue that the Trump administration is primarily interested in helping Egyptian leader Sisi to get unfair deals at the expense of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan have been negotiating the Dam since November 2019. The United States and the World Bank were present in the negotiation since then as “observers.”
Reports from media outlets who claim to have insider information about the negotiation process indicated that the “observers” are putting unfair pressure on Ethiopia to defend to promote Egypt’s position, which is informed by the Colonial-era agreement to which Ethiopia was not a signatory.
The negotiation is not finalized. The latest round is taking place on February 27 and 28 in Washington D.C., but Ethiopia notified the U.S. government that it would not attend it this time. The Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy said in a statement on Wednesday that consultation with stakeholders is not completed.
Negotiating parties were at the stage of drafting a detailed legal document that would govern the operation and filling of the Dam, but they could not reach an agreement. The Ethiopian government has officially announced that agreement is not achieved but did not specify what exactly was the controversial point – seemingly to observe rules set for the negotiation. However, the Ethiopian government said that it would not compromise the national interest or sovereignty of the country.
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Ethiopian Government should not succumb to any outside pressure regarding its national interest. Nor the Government should exchange such interests for money. It is humiliating. It is well established that Ethiopia can use the dam without affecting Egypt’s interest. Why is then that Egypt doesn’t want Ethiopia to benefit from its own river? It is realy enemy like.
TPLF is the only entity of the Ethiopian government that got the legal right , the legal responsibility and the legal duty to represent Ethiopia in the Gerd negotiation at Washington DC, USA or anywhere else the negotiation is held at.
Noone can negotiate about Gerd representing Ethiopia unless TPLF gives the permits them to do so.
Prosperity Party got no authority to be claiming to represent Ethiopia. Only EPRDF can represent Ethiopia since currently TPLF is the only member of EPRDF it is up to TPLF to get Ethiopia get respected .
Hope all corners of Ethiopia unite on this issue because the completion of the dam would benefit all. Unfortunately, it is only the ‘Neftegna’ who is always fighting for such national causes.
What the Egyptian side wants is not that mystery. They know that there is nothing to be done to stop the building of the dam thru completion. That is a dead giveaway. What Egypt needs is partially clear and includes several items. It wants to a managing party in running the dam when and after it is read, not from outside looking in but on site as a member of running the dam. That is not all. I guarantee you this wherein Egypt will claim a loss in its GDP amounting in billions because of the dam and will demand immediate and annual/periodic remuneration on its terms only. That means the old country will have to cough up billions no matter what. There a drought; I don’t give a damn, pay me!!! My economy is on a down side; I don’t care, pay me!!!! Egypt’s el-Sisi this dam is going to be a shot in the arm for the old country. The dam, if managed properly, will generate huge amount of cheap electricity that will unleash a booming industrialization. Sisi know that and may want to turn the old country into becoming a cash cow. Egypt has never sustained itself without handouts. Nile itself was and has been a handout. Cold war was a handout to Egypt more than any North and Sub-Saharan countries. Middle East crisis has been a feeder line to Egypt since 1948. Now the specter of terrorism is the ice on the ‘halawa’ for the rulers there. It has been getting all what it wants all along from the former Soviet Union and now from the West. Can someone explain to why does Egypt need F-16’s and the latest Mirage jets? It has signed an accord with its former adversary, Israel and there has virtual peace between the two. So why does Egypt have to have these and other advanced military hardware? Because its rulers say so. I want 50 F-16’s; you got it!! I want 50 Mirages and I want it now!!! You got it!!! I want to build this submarine and I need to have the technology, now!!! You got it!!! I want those ‘abd’s’ niggers in Addis/Finfine in the grinder and I want your help and I need it now; you got it!! I think Egypt is now suffering from a serious bout of affluenza now.
For what ‘america-only’ mulls over against our interest, prosperity, and even wellbeingness ? Well.., if that it is, why not this issue is not sent to the nations with veto-power ? Without doubt, “Russia and China” would and could play “Stellar-Role” over this affairs. But my question is—why “america” decided over the filling of the water ? I mean, who is she after all..?!
“An infant always cries by another man’s money”. You have to think of those years you mock at Ethiopia and Sudan. Let me tell you one thing that the function of a nake isn’t only to hold the head but also to see around. The head also thinks the right and instructs every organ for the wellbeing of the whole body. For you are belong to the same continent, better each Country contribute it’s best efforts for better tomorrow. Sudanese deserve more water than Egypt because Sudanese are very faithful for the truth. time is good. It shows all (the bad and good). Now, it is good time for Ethiopia, sudan & for the rest of Nile basin countries. You better agree with them. if you did this, you are not an infant who cries by others possession. Pls come down from the shoulder of Ethiopia. Enough is enough.