Museveni Warns Egypt As Nile War Looms
<
http://chimpreports.com/index.php/mobile/author/AdminBrian/> Giles Muhame
14/06/2013 18:24:00
President Yoweri Museveni has sternly warned the Egyptian "government and
other groups" against making "chauvinist and irrational statements" in the
wake of Ethiopia's decision to construct a multi-billion dollar electricity
dam, Chimp Corps report.
"I have seen in the print media statements coming out of Egypt regarding the
commendable work of the Government of Ethiopia of building dams for
electricity in that country," said Museveni.
"This is what the whole of Africa needs to do. That is one reason the
economy of Ethiopia has been growing in double digits. It is, therefore,
advisable that the new Government of Egypt and some chauvinistic groups
inside Egypt should not repeat the mistakes of the past Egyptian
Governments," he added.
Museveni said Africa will not allow Egypt to continue hurting Black
Africans, warning "Egypt should not repeat mistakes of past leaders."
The President was speaking shortly after the reading of the 2013/14 national
budget at Kampala Serena Hotel on Thursday evening.
Analysts say Museveni's statement blew the cover off the simmering tensions
between Uganda and Ethiopia on one hand and Egypt on the other.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, formerly known as the Millennium Dam
and sometimes referred to as Hidase Dam, is an under-construction gravity
dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia.
It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 40 km (25 mi) east
of the border with Sudan. At 6,000 MW and 63 billion cubic meters, the dam
will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa when completed, as
well as the 13th or 14th largest in the world sharing the spot with
Krasnoyarskaya.
The potential impacts of the dam have been the source of regional
controversy. The Government of Egypt, a country which relies heavily on the
waters of the Nile, protests the dam and its political leaders have
discussed methods to sabotage it, including arming Ethiopian rebels.
"I confirm that all options are open to deal with this subject," Egypt
President Mohammed Morsi told hundreds of his supporters late on Monday.
"If a single drop of the Nile is lost, our blood will be the alternative. We
are not warmongers, but we will never allow anyone to threaten our
security."
On June 3, while discussing the International Panel of Experts report with
President Mohammad Morsi, Egyptian political leaders suggested methods to
destroy the dam, including support for anti-government rebels.
The discussion was televised live without those present at meeting aware.
Ethiopia requested that the Egyptian Ambassador to explain the meeting.
Morsi's top aide apologized for the "unintended embarrassment" and his
cabinet released a statement promoting "good neighborliness, mutual respect
and the pursuit of joint interests without either party harming the other."
An aide to the Ethiopian Prime Minister stated that Egypt is "...entitled to
day dreaming" and cited Egypt's past of trying to destabilize Ethiopia.
Morsi reportedly believes that is better to engage Ethiopia rather than
attempt to force them.
However, on 10 June 2013, Morsi said that "all options are open" because
"Egypt's water security cannot be violated at all," clarifying that he was
"not calling for war," but that he would not allow Egypt's water supply to
be endangered
Egypt and Sudan fear a temporary reduction of water availability due to the
filling of the dam and a permanent reduction because of evaporation from the
reservoir.
The reservoir volume is about equivalent to the annual flow of the Nile at
the Sudanese-Egyptian border (65.5 billion cubic meter). This loss to
downstream countries would most likely be spread over several years.
The dam will retain silt. It will thus increase the useful lifetime of dams
in Sudan - such as the Roseires Dam, the Sennar Dam and the Merowe Dam - and
of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. The beneficial and harmful effects of flood
control would affect the Sudanese portion of the Blue Nile, just as it would
affect the Ethiopian part of the Blue Nile valley downstream of the dam.
Museveni speaks out
Museveni said leaders of Egypt should not be victims of the "misguided
policies of past leaders."
He further stressed that threat of the Nile is not the construction of dams
but the "lack of electricity and underdevelopment in the tropics."
"The biggest threat to the Nile is continued under-development in the
tropics i.e. lack of electricity and lack of industrialization. On account
of these two, peasants cut the bio-mass for fuel (firewood - enku) and
invade the forests to expand primitive agriculture. Here in Uganda, the
peasants destroy 40 billion cubic metres of wood per annum for firewood.
They also invade the wetlands (ebisaalu, ebitoogo, entobazi, ebifuunjo,
ebisharara) to grow rice," he noted.
"This interferes with the transpiration that is crucial for rain formation.
Our experts have told me that 40 percent of our rain comes from local
moisture - meaning from our lakes and wetlands," said Museveni, adding,
"That is why, for instance, West Nile and West Acholi have got more rain
than Karamoja being on the same latitude notwithstanding. It is,
apparently, on account of the huge wetlands in South Sudan, the forest in
Congo and the wetlands in Uganda."
Ironically, said Museveni, the Egyptians wanted to drain the wetlands in
South Sudan through the Jonglei canal.
"It was one of the causes for the people of South Sudan to wage war against
Khartoum, which was collaborating with the Egyptian Government's misguided
and dangerous policies of that time," he added.
Therefore, said Museveni, the threat to the Nile is lack of electricity in
the tropics and lack of industrialization thereof.
"Electrification so that people stop using wood fuel and industrialization
so that people shift from agriculture to industry and services is the
correct way."
Museveni also pointed to unknown diplomatic efforts aimed at persuading
Egypt not to pursue the path of war.
"I have given these views to the past Egyptian Governments and to the
present one. Therefore, it is advisable that those chauvinistic statements
coming out of Egypt are restrained and through the Nile Valley Organization
rational (not emotional and informed statements) discussions take place."
"No African wants to hurt Egypt; however, Egypt cannot continue to hurt
black Africa and the countries of the tropics of Africa," he concluded his
speech.
Ethiopia boasts one of the most advanced and deadliest armies on the
continent.
The battle-hardened army derives its unwavering determination to protect its
strategic interests right from the late 1980s when it resisted the wave of
colonialism that swept Africa.
Responding to Morsi's threats recently, Ethiopia's premier, Hailemariam
Desalegn, the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam would was
"unstoppable."
"All options include a war. I don't think they will take that option unless
they go mad," warned Hailemariam, adding, "I urge them to abandon such an
unhelpful approach and return to dialogue and discussion."
Observers say Morsi is fanning anti-Ethiopia sentiments to divert attention
from the resistance facing his unpopular domestic policies.
On Thursday evening, news came in that the Ethiopian Parliament had voted
unanimously to repeal 1929 Nile water treaty that had granted Egypt the
lion's share of the Nile waters.
East Africa had criticized the treaty as a colonial relic considering that
Egypt is guaranteed access to 55.5bn cubic metres of water, out of a total
of 84bn cubic metres.
NILE WAR
Interestingly, a Nile treaty signed by the upper riparian states in 2010,
the Cooperative Framework Agreement, has not been signed by either Egypt or
Sudan, as they claim it violates the 1959 treaty which gives Sudan and Egypt
exclusive rights to the Nile's waters.
The Nile Basin Initiative provides a framework for dialogue among all Nile
riparian countries.
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan established an International Panel of Experts to
review and assess the study reports of the dam. The panel consists of 10
members; 6 from the three countries and 4 international in the fields of
water resources and hydrologic modelling, dam engineering, socioeconomic,
and environmental.
The panel held its fourth meeting in Addis Ababa in November 2012. It
reviewed documents about the environmental impact of the dam and visited the
dam site.
The panel submitted its preliminary report to the respective governments at
the end of May 2013. Although the full report has not been made public, and
will not be until it is reviewed by the governments, Egypt and Ethiopia both
released details.
The Ethiopian government stated that, according to the report, the dam meets
international standards and will be beneficial to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
According to Egyptian government, the report found that the dimensions and
size of the dam should be changed.
At 4,132 miles from its source in Lake Victoria, the Nile is the world's
longest river with its main two tributaries - the White Nile and Blue Nile,
flowing from Ethiopia before joining at Sudan's Capital, Khartoum.
Received on Fri Jun 14 2013 - 16:15:03 EDT