---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Biniam Tekle <biniamt_at_dehai.org>
Date: Sun, Apr 13, 2014 at 10:05 AM
Subject: (Ahram, Egypt) Ethiopia slams International Rivers organisation
for supporting Egypt
To: dehai-news <dehai-news_at_dehai.org>
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/98922/Egypt/Politics-/Ethiopia-slams-International-Rivers-organisation-f.aspx
Ethiopia slams International Rivers organisation for supporting Egypt
Ethiopia's National Panel of Experts linked to the Renaissance Dam project
dismiss as biased to Egypt criticisms of the dam levelled by US-based
environmental group
Ahram Online , Sunday 13 Apr 2014
The National Panel of Experts linked to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
(GERD) has slammed the International Rivers Network (IRN) for criticising
the Renaissance Dam project, accusing the body of being biased and
supporting Egypt against the dam.
The panel accused, in a statement issued Thursday, the US-based
environmental organisation "of subverting Ethiopia's efforts to develop its
water resources and lift its vast and growing population out of poverty."
It accused the IRN of being paid by Egypt in order to lobby against the
Renaissance Dam internationally.
"Again, the IRN never loses opportunity to lobby for its Egyptian
paymasters. Not only does the IRN talk about the 'oversize' of GERD, but
also about the Egyptians' negative emotions over GERD: anger and fear."
The IRN issued 31 March 2014 a statement about Renaissance Dam along with a
leaked version of the report of the tripartite technical committee assigned
to study the probable impact of the dam on Egypt and Sudan issued last
year.
"One international dam expert who has seen the report states that it shows
that construction on the project is proceeding on an aggressively
accelerated schedule with little room for adjusting key elements of dam
design to reduce harm or prevent problems," the IRN said in its statement.
The environmental NGO called on Ethiopia to halt construction of the dam
until studies on the impact of the dam on the downstream countries are
continued.
The IRN added that it would work on keeping international donors from
investing in the GERD project while providing alternatives to Ethiopia for
water and land reclamation.
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan formed a tripartite technical committee to study
the probable effects of the Renaissance Dam. But the committee's
discussions were thwarted in December when Sudanese President Omar
Al-Bashir announced his support for the dam during a meeting with Ethiopian
Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Talks between Ethiopia and Egypt broke down in recent months. Yet officials
from both countries insist they will continue to hold talks in order to
solve the dispute over the dam. Earlier this month, the foreign ministers
of both Egypt and Ethiopia held talks in Brussels on the dam.
Founded in 1985 as an international NGO, the International Rivers Network
is an environmental anti-dam organisation that aims to protect rivers and
local communities that depend on those rivers. The US based organisation is
known internationally for its stances against dams in general.
Received on Mon Apr 14 2014 - 10:38:30 EDT