Egypt asks Israel to help solve Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam crisis –

June 21, 2016 at 10:56 am | Published in: Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Middle East, News

Egypt's President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi

June 21, 2016 at 10:56 am

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is reported to have asked the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene and help solve his country’s dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam crisis.

The Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported Arab diplomatic sources as saying on Monday: “Sisi has recently asked Netanyahu to help Egypt resolve its dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam, due to Ethiopia’s intransigence and refusal to respond to the Egyptian calls to coordinate efforts during the construction and storage stages.”

The sources added that al-Sisi’s move came after Ethiopia rejected all pressures exerted by Arab parties, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, because Addis Ababa believes “the national project will help lift its deteriorating economy”.

The sources said that Egypt has finally resorted to asking Israel for assistance, a strategic ally of Ethiopia and a number of Nile Basin countries.

Speaking to the newspaper, an Egyptian diplomat warned against al-Sisi’s move, saying it could lead to the transfer of the Nile water to Israel, explaining that current and former Israeli leaders have been calling for this since the signing of the Camp David agreement.

Addis Ababa and Tel Aviv enjoy close ties on the economic side, with Israel having provided a range of grants to Ethiopia over the past years.

Ethiopian minister: Renaissance dam 'a reality no matter what' upset Egyptian oppositions

Technical studies will assess the dam's impact but will not assess whether or not to build the dam, the minister said

Ahram Online , Friday 27 May 2016

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An archival for the establishment process of Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam (Photo: Al Ahram)

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Ethiopia's communication minister said Friday that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has become a "reality," and "no matter what happens, things will not change," Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported.

Minister Getachew Reda, speaking to London-based newspaper in Khartoum, said that 50 percent of construction work on the dam had been completed and most of the dam's civil engineering projects were complete.

“When turbines are installed, 70 percent of the project will be complete,” he said.

Egypt has repeatedly expressed concern over the dam's possible effect on the country's supply of Nile water. Ethiopia has denied the dam would negatively affect Egypt, but the two countries, alongside Sudan, have agreed to conduct impact studies on the dam.

Reda stated that “Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt have agreed on the technical committees. Furthermore, we haven’t promised to stop construction work pending the completion of technical studies.”

“These committees are specialised in studying whether the dam would harm Sudan or Egypt and not whether to build or not to build the dam,” he added.

“The dam will not harm the interests of Sudan and Egypt,” Reda stressed. “The Egyptians have finally understood that it is necessary to reach some kind of understanding, which compels us to work together.”

"The people of the three countries will benefit from it,” he said.

“But if some (parties) believe that they will be harmed by it, then this is not Ethiopia’s problem,” he added.

In December 2015, President El-Sisi addressed the public, saying that there is no reason to worry about the dam and that the matter would be resolved.

The hydroelectric dam is under construction on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia's highlands.

Is Egypt-Sudan border dispute new thorn in Renaissance Dam negotiations?

CAIRO — There are fears that the dispute over Halayeb and Shalateen, a small border region claimed by Cairo and Khartoum, will cast its shadow over Egyptian-Sudanese coordination on the negotiations over the Renaissance Dam between the two countries and Ethiopia.

Summary⎙ Print Although claiming to be independent, some suggest Sudan may in fact be on Ethiopia’s side with regard to the latter’s dispute with Egypt over the Renaissance Dam.

Author Walaa HusseinPosted May 8, 2016

TranslatorRani Geha

On April 18, state-owned channel Ethiopian TV interviewed Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who said that the dam benefits both Sudan and Ethiopia. Egyptian media considered this declaration as clearly reflecting the escalating crisis on the Halayeb triangle between Cairo and Khartoum. Bashir's remarks came a few hours after Sudan demanded, in an official Foreign Ministry statement April 17, direct negotiations with Egypt to resolve the crisis in a way similar to how it dealt with Saudi Arabia in regard to the islands of Tiran and Sanafir or via international arbitration. But Cairo rejected the demand, stressing that the triangle is Egyptian territory and that it will not negotiate or resort to international arbitration on the matter.

The Halayeb area is located on the African side of the Red Sea. The area contains three major towns: Halayeb, Abu Ramad and Shalateen. The area belongs to Egypt politically and administratively but is subject to a border dispute between Egypt and Sudan.

A government source in the Egyptian Committee on the Renaissance Dam told Al-Monitor that Egypt fears that the Halayeb and Shalateen crisis with Sudan would escalate to a new stumbling block in the Renaissance Dam negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Cairo had put in place a number of alternative scenarios to resolve the crisis of the hampered technical track, and Egypt counts on Khartoum’s support for the Egyptian position toward Addis Ababa.

According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Halayeb and Shalateen issue had affected the Renaissance Dam negotiations several times before.

In February, there was tension during the meeting in Khartoum of the Renaissance Dam Tripartite Commission between the Egyptian and Sudanese delegations. Egypt objected to the maps supplied by the French companies conducting border studies between Egypt and Sudan, as the maps showed the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen area to be situated on the Sudanese side of the border. The meeting ended with Egypt requesting that topographic maps that do not show the border demarcation between the three countries be used instead.

Ambassador Mona Omar, who is the former deputy foreign minister for African affairs, told Al-Monitor that the Sudanese president's remarks — in which he said that the dam brings many benefits — shows that the Sudanese position in the dam negotiations completely differs from the Egyptian position. “There are currently no negotiations over the Renaissance Dam between the three countries. The matter depends on ending the crisis of the contracts with the consulting firms involved in producing technical reports regarding the damage that the dam could cause Egypt and Sudan. … Our chance now depends on the French advisory reports becoming internationally recognized documents proving the damage caused by the dam,” she said.

Samir Ghattas, an Egyptian member of parliament and head of the Middle East Forum for Strategic Studies, expected Sudan to use the Halayeb and Shalateen issue to pressure Egypt in the Renaissance Dam negotiations by likening the issue to that of the Tiran and Sanafir islands. “The result is the same whether or not Egypt complies with the request to sit down and negotiate the Halayeb crisis because Sudan supports Egypt only in official statements, while in reality Sudan is an ally of Addis Ababa in all of the latter’s decisions with regard to the Renaissance Dam,” he told Al-Monitor.

Ghattas pointed out that the Egyptian government is adjusting its negotiating line by requesting a political track parallel to the technical negotiations, which have exhausted their utility in light of the harm that will befall Egypt when the dam starts undergoing tests in a few months.

For his part, Hani Raslan, the head of the Nile Basin Studies Unit at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor that Sudan’s bargaining with Egypt regarding the Halayeb issue will directly impact the dam negotiations in the coming period, saying, "Sudan will use the Halayeb crisis as a pretext to justify an open alliance with Ethiopia against Egypt."

Raslan said that Khartoum tried to hide the Sudanese-Ethiopian alliance by making contradictory statements, either by pretending to mediate between Egypt and Ethiopia or by announcing that it is a completely independent party.

On the dam negotiations, a government source pointed out that the recent visit by Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Ati to Sudan and Ethiopia to push the negotiations forward resulted in an agreement to resume the work of the Tripartite Commission and to sign contracts with the two French companies to quickly finalize their studies determining the dam’s negative effects.

Raslan said that the contracts will probably be signed despite Egyptian reservations about how the studies are being conducted and their design flaws that may cause inaccurate results. This would be a collapse of the Egyptian negotiating position and a big failure, according to him.

From time to time in the past, Khartoum denied accusations that it was siding with Ethiopia because of the Halayeb dispute. Egypt used this denial to grasp at straws as it tried to find an ally in its negotiations, but it seems that things are changing after the direct confrontation over Halayeb and Shalateen between the Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministries.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/05/egypt-sudan-dispute-halayeb-renaissance-dam-ethiopia-water.html#ixzz489NSypQo

Egypt’s water minister says country facing 'critical phase

CAIRO — Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Ati, who took office March 23 as part of the Cabinet reshuffle by the government of Sherif Ismail, has told Al-Monitor that Cairo is studying various solutions to resolve the Renaissance Dam crisis with Ethiopia. While he wouldn’t reveal details about these efforts, he indicated that Cairo is hoping for “full cooperation” with other Nile basin countries and would be focusing on solutions beneficial for all.

Summary⎙ Print In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Ati said that Cairo was working on finding solutions to the Renaissance Dam dispute that would satisfy all involved countries.

Author Walaa HusseinPosted April 10, 2016

TranslatorCynthia Milan

Negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan regarding the specifics of the dam have faced numerous challenges since they began years ago, and the tripartite talks are now stumbling on a new obstacle: the required technical studies. The studies are aimed at determining the extent of the damage the dam will cause downstream in Egypt and Sudan after operation begins.

The text of the interview follows:

Walaa Hussein

Contributor,  Egypt Pulse

Walaa Hussein is the editor-in-chief of the parliamentary news division at Rose al-Yusuf. An expert in African affairs, Hussein has collaborated with the Nile Channel, writing and preparing newscasts. On Twitter: @walaahuseen

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/04/egypt-water-minister-interview-nile-drought-ethiopia-sudan.html#ixzz45Wf0258zAl-Monitor:  You were appointed minister of water resources and irrigation at a time when the country is facing many crises involving water. What are your main goals when it comes to overcoming the crises?

Abdel Ati:  First, I would like to clarify certain facts regarding the situation of water in Egypt, which is currently going through a critical phase. Egypt is a desert country that has no water resources except for the Nile, which provides 97% of our water supply. The Nile is our source of life and we will currently be focusing on treating sources of pollution — whether factories that dump their waste water in the Nile or [pollution from] the sewage system. This polluted water must be dealt with to improve water quality, since it is possible to recycle or reuse it six times, [something necessary] in light of the population growth. According to the last population survey in Egypt, the number of residents has reached 90 million, and by 2030 it will reach 130 million, while the rate of population in the other Nile Basin countries is also growing, and thus the demand of water is on the rise, which represents another challenge in managing the river system in order for everyone to benefit from its water.

Al-Monitor:  A statement made by the Egyptian prime minister before parliament a few days ago spoke about alternative scenarios to deal with the Renaissance Dam crisis with Ethiopia. Is Cairo heading toward international escalation against Addis Ababa?

Abdel Ati:  The political leadership in Egypt is convinced that a full cooperation with all Nile Basin countries will benefit everyone. We do not aim to achieve gains for Egyptians alone through our negotiations with Ethiopia; we do not want anyone to be a loser. There are indeed many solutions that are being studied in order to overcome the current crisis. I cannot give details about these scenarios but I can assure you that there are solutions and once agreed upon, they will be announced.

Al-Monitor: There are government reports that speak of a deficit of up to 40 billion cubic meters of water, used by Egypt for drinking, irrigation and development. Meanwhile, Ethiopia is planning to start storing water behind the walls of the Renaissance Dam. How will you cope with this?

Abdel Ati:  Although our water management is good and the Egyptian irrigation system’s efficiency is about 78% — the highest efficiency in Africa — the real average consumption of water is 105 billion cubic meters, and we get 55.5 billion cubic meters from the Nile. The remaining 80 billion cubic meters are covered by the reuse of wastewater [78% of 135.5 billion cubic meters is roughly 105 billion cubic meters]. We will work on clarifying the issue of water deficit, both at the domestic level in Egypt to spread awareness about water issues among the people, or at the level of external communication, because clarifying this issue is of great importance in our negotiations with the Nile Basin countries and Ethiopia. It is imperative that everyone knows that the Egyptians are not against development in the Upper Nile, but that they just fear the repercussions of the projects that do not take into account their share of water, which could include damages that directly reflect on water and food security, and affect the future of the coming generations.

Al-Monitor:  Egypt has maintained the freeze on its membership in the Nile Basin Initiative, a decision that came in objection to the Entebbe Agreement signed by five Nile headwaters countries. Will this freeze mean the halt of implementation for any joint development projects in the Nile Basin?

Abdel Ati:  Our position is clear when it comes to the Entebbe Agreement. We will not work in a context that goes against the Egyptian people’s interests. The common interests lie in achieving development on the banks of the Nile. This falls within the Egyptian government’s priorities and we are achieving this through bilateral cooperation with all Nile Basin countries and to the fullest extent. The government’s current plan relies on the fact that there is no ceiling for cooperation with the Nile Basin countries, and this is why there are many projects currently being implemented in the majority of the Upper Nile countries, whether through clearing the tributaries of the Nile or digging for clean drinking water wells in disadvantaged areas, in addition to the development of fishing marinas on the Nile. We are currently working on a special project to divert the course of the Nile from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Victoria, to the largest shipping lane for trade.

Al-Monitor:  Egypt recently announced an ambitious project to cultivate an additional 1.5 million acres using groundwater. How will Egypt procure the necessary water for this project amid alarming talk about water shortages?

Abdel Ati:  The philosophy of the 1.5 million acres project relies on cultivating land of no more than 700,000 acres, while the rest of the space would be dedicated for urban and industrial development. We would use the groundwater in the early stages of cultivation only, because the majority of groundwater in Egypt is not renewable. Meanwhile, [future] water for the project would be provided through the wastewater resulting from the urban and industrial areas within the project; we would work on treating it and using it more than once. It is an integrated development project that came as a special solution to confront the climate change crisis and its expected impact on the sinking of the Delta areas. We will not leave the people who will be affected in these areas without planning alternative accommodation and jobs for them.

Al-Monitor:  The low water level on the Nile — which resulted in crises at drinking water stations and mass fish deaths — recently has led to controversy among the public about Ethiopia starting to store water at the Renaissance Dam. What is the truth of this matter?

Abdel Ati:  The truth is, there is a drought in the Nile Basin region and the amount of rainfall is below normal. We are hoping for an improvement over the coming months.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/04/egypt-water-minister-interview-nile-drought-ethiopia-sudan.html#ixzz45WepJwOq

Ethiopia dam: Concerns about enviornmental impact

Italian firm accused of posing threat to thousands in Ethiopia, Kenya

March 17, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – Survival International (SI)‚ a global movement for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples has lodged complaint against an Italian giant construction company, Salini, over impacts of one of Ethiopia mega projects, the Gilgel Gibe III hydro power plant it has built.

The US$1.5 billion Gibe III project dam is expected to generate 1870 MW of electricity.

Survival said it has reported the Italian engineering giant Salini to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) over the rights impacts to communities in Ethiopia and Kenya.

It also stressed that the construction of the controversial dam in Ethiopia’s Omo River cuts off the Omo River’s regular flooding‚ over which 100‚000 people rely on to water their crops and livestock and a further 100,000 depend on indirectly.

It said the dam project will eventually destroy the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Ethiopia and Kenya.

“Up to half a million people face starvation as a result of the dam Salini has constructed on the Omo River,” Survival said in a statement it issued on Monday.

According to experts, the dam project threatens Lake Turkana – the world’s largest permanent desert lake – and disaster for the 300,000 people from tribes living along its shores.

Survival said Salini did not seek the consent of local people before building the dam, but claimed that an “artificial flood release” would compensate them for their losses. However, this promised flood never came and thousands of people now face starvation.

According to Survival, the region is one of the most important sites in early human evolution‚ and an area of exceptional biodiversity‚ with two World Heritage Sites and five national parks.

“The head of Kenya’s conservation agency said last week that the dam is unleashing “one of the worst environmental disasters you can imagine.”

Stephen Corry of Survival international said “Salini has ignored crucial evidence‚ made false promises and ridden roughshod over the rights of hundreds of thousands of people.”

"Thousands are now facing starvation because Italy’s largest contractor‚ and one of its best known companies‚ didn’t think human rights were worth its time,” he said.

He said the real consequences of the Ethiopian government’s devastating policies for its country’s ’development’‚ which were “shamefully supported by western aid agencies like the UK’s DFID and USAID”‚ are plain for all to see.

Stealing people’s land and causing massive environmental destruction, he added, is not progress; it is a death sentence for tribal peoples.

Ethiopia has been facing massive protests from a number of international rights groups and environmental campaigners over the construction of the Gibe III dam project.

Groups like the International Rivers, Friends of Lake Turkana, The Oakland Institute, and other groups argued that no inclusive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment was made ahead of the construction and extensively campaigned for halt of the project.

According to the groups, Gibe III like those Gibe I and II diverts the flow of the Omo River in Ethiopia, which feeds 90% of Lake Turkana in Kenya and endangers the lake and tens of thousands of people from 17 ethnic groups who live in the Lower Omo Valley.

Despite huge pressure, Ethiopia however recently completed the Gibe which is the country’s second largest hydro power plant after the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam; the horn of Africa’s nation is building along the Nile River.

Gibe III, a 610 meter-long and 243 meter high roller-compacted concrete dam has power generation capacity of 1,870 Megawatt.

Ethiopia has dismissed allegations that its dam projects will cause environmental damage to populations in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Previously, Addis Ababa however said claims released by the rights groups are bogus. It further accused them of working for the interest of their western alleys.

(ST)

Egypt Questions Ethiopia Over Construction of New 2000 MW Dam

0

 Kofi Peppeh

 March 17, 2016

  Africa, East Africa, Economy, Ethiopia, Sudan, Top Stories

Egypt has questions for Ethiopia regarding the construction of a new 2,000-megawatt dam which was announced by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn during a speech in parliament last week.

Egypt’s Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy said on Tuesday that Cairo needed more information concerning the dam, which is soon to be built.

According to Moghazy, Cairo’s request for details of the dam is not official but “friendly.” Egypt would like to know the location of the dam, and which particular river(s) it will feed off.

Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have been negotiating over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) for over two years now.

The GERD, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017, would be the largest hydro-electrical plant in Africa. The dam will generate about 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

Egypt’s main concerns regarding Ethiopia’s plan to constructing a new dam seems to be rooted in the suspicion that it will feed off the Blue Nile.

Egypt, which has traditionally depended on the Nile for drinking water and agriculture, has expressed concerns regarding the construction of the GERD.

Egypt fears its historical share of fresh water from the Nile would be decreased by the GERD. Upon completion, the dam would have a storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters (14.5 billion gallons of water).

Ethiopia has been working to allay the fears of Egypt and Sudan – both beneficiaries of the Nile.

Last month, the three countries hired two French consultancy firms to conduct studies on the possible impact of the GERD.

The studies being carried out by BRL and Artelia is scheduled to be c