Egypt and Ethiopia At Loggerheads on A Dam

Ethiopia vowed to proceed the completion of the controversial dam despite the world calling for reaching consensus and avoid unilateral actions. Addis Ababa says it won’t seek permission to utilize its God-given resources and won’t negotiate building the dam with an outsider.

The three riparian countries have to sign a deal, the world says.

Egypt thinks the dam would dry the water flowing to its country. The dispute has been mediated by the US government but has gone in vain. Sudan for while stood a neutral in the row between its Arab big neighbor and Ethiopia. In the last weeks, Ethiopian press accused of Khartoum of “sudden shift” in politics when they turned down and refused to sign a letter wrote by Addis Ababa unless Egypt’s signature is assured.

Addis Ababa declared to fill the GERD dam and Cairo considers that act a declaration of war because water inflows to Egypt from Ethiopia is a matter of death and life. The two countries are entangled in explosive resource based dispute.

Egypt said to have sought a military base in South Sudan sending shocking waves to Ethiopia; South Sudan ambassador to Addis Ababa confirmed it but calmed by saying  no one can harm Ethiopia from South Sudan territory. “South Sudanese would face.” He concluded.

Egypt won the hearts of the big powers as well as the neighbor countries. So far the two Sudans are with Cairo. Somalia a key ally for Arabia no matter what is out of the political scene. Historically, the Nile River has been viewed as a property of Egypt to many poems about the Nile.

The US proposal is rejected by Ethiopia therefore the situation is tense and may escalate soon.