The Ethiopians in the diaspora have called on Egyptian government to change its counterproductive posture and find mutually beneficial agreements on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
This comes days after the Office of National Coordination for the Construction of the GERD announced that 90% of the construction work had been completed. This was revealed on the 12th anniversary of the laying the foundation stone.
For years now, Egypt which gets 90% of its water from River Nile has raised concerns over what it says is Ethiopia’s unilateral practices” regarding the GERD.
Egypt fears the dam constructed on the Blue Nile, one of the main tributaries of the Nile River, will likely threaten water security and country’s economy.
Now, the undersigned organisations established by Ethiopians in the Diaspora, have written to the Egyptian people and leaders to join them in the spirit of cooperation and work towards an agreement that is fair, equitable, and mutually beneficial for all people in the Nile basin.
They argue that whereas there are concerns in Egypt about the downstream effects on the Nile's flow and water availability, GERD will provide several benefits to Egypt and Sudan, including increased water flow during dry seasons and decreased flooding events.
“We want to assure Egyptians that Ethiopians are committed to fair and equitable use of the Nile's waters without harming our downstream neighbours. We recognise that the Nile River is a shared resource, and we support finding a mutually beneficial solution,” they wrote.
The community further calls on Egyptian People and Egyptian diaspora to question what it says is misinformation about the GERD in Egypt's mainstream media, and embrace the spirit of friendship and cooperation.
They also want the Egyptian leaders to engage in constructive dialogue with the leaders of Ethiopia regarding the GERD, further calling for a “binding agreement” on the GERD filling that benefits all parties.
“Belligerent positions by Egyptian leaders stating ‘all options are open’ are contrary to the spirit of the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Such postures will surely harm Egypt's long-term interest and impede trustful cooperation with the Ethiopian people and government,” the community argues.
Furthermore, they have asked the Arab League and its member states to refrain from interfering in the issue of the GERD, which they says should be the sole concern of the three riparian countries (Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt) and their shared regional organization (the African Union), which is mediating the talks.
Upon completion, Ethiopian hopes GERD will increase access to about 65% of the 122 million of Ethiopia's population who have no access to any form of electricity.
The country also believes GERD will promote regional cooperation and integration while offering an opportunity for eleven countries of the Nile Basin.