Egypt TV airs live discussion of Ethiopia dam sabotage plans

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 4, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – Egyptian politicians were reportedly caught proposing anti-Ethiopia sabotage plans after a closed door meeting held on Monday was broadcast live on air without their knowledge.

Chaired by Egypt’s president, Mohammed Morsi, the national dialogue centered on Egypt’s stance towards Ethiopia’s dam building on the Blue Nile river, which downstream countries Sudan and Egypt rely upon.

Ethiopia’s announced last week that in the process of building the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the Benshangul Gumuz region, which is just 30km from the border with Sudan, the flow of the Blue Nile river had been diverted.

Addis Ababa has downplayed the impact of the diversion and the dam itself, arguing that the new hydroelectric dam will benefit downstream countries as they will be able to buy green energy from Ethiopia.

At the meeting, Egyptian political figures including opposition political parties consulted on ways how to stop Ethiopia from continuing to build the massive $4.8 billion dam.

A number of political parties have put forward hostile acts while the world was watching them Live on TV.

The head of the conservative Islamist Nur Party, Yunis Makhyun, said the dam project is a danger for Egypt’s national security and suggested backing Ethiopian rebels as a means to destroy the project.

“We can communicate with them [Rebels] and use them as a bargaining chip against the Ethiopian government” he said.

Makhyoun went onto saying: “If all this fails, then there is no choice left for Egypt but to play the final card, which is using the intelligence service to destroy the dam.”

Ayman Nour, head of the liberal Ghad Party, suggested spreading rumours that Egypt was buying advanced military planes that could be understood in Ethiopia as a plan to airstrike.

According to him these rumours would create a climate of fear in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian government will that way then begin to cooperate with Egypt’s interest.

He also proposed that Egypt deploys a political, intelligence and military teams to the East African nation.

“We need to intervene in their domestic affairs” Nour added.

Spreading rumours which say that Egypt is planning military attack to destroy the dam was also among proposed ideas by the politicians.

However, some of the others present warned that spreading rumours or military action was dangerous and could turn Ethiopians into enemies of Egypt further, suggesting using diplomatic approach as best option.

After listening their views, Egyptian President, Mursi, concluded that Egypt respects Ethiopia and its people and his country won’t engage in any aggressive acts.

On the contrary however AFP on same day (Monday) reported that President Mohamed Mursi warned that Cairo will not allow any move that would diminish its share of Nile water even by “one drop”.

“We cannot let even one drop of Nile water be affected,” Mursi said in a meeting aired by the state television.

APOLOGIES OVER LIVE TV

An Egyptian presidential assistant has apologised for allowing the politicians’ meeting was broadcast live on air without their knowledge.

“Due to the importance of the topic it was decided at the last minute to air the meeting live. I forgot to inform the participants about the changes,” presidential aide for political affairs Pakinam El-Sharkawi said on Twitter.

“I apologise for any embarrassment caused to the political leaders”.

It was said that the incident was a huge embarrassment for the new leadership in Egypt.

ETHIOPIA READY FOR NILE TALKS

The Panel of Experts d tasked to study the impact of Nile dam has announced its final findings last week and has submitted the report to government of Sudan Ethiopia and Egypt.

The report concluded that Ethiopia’s dam project won’t have a negative impacts on lower riparian countries of Sudan and Egypt.

Ethiopia’s Minister for Water Resources, Alemayehu Tegenu, on Tuesday said Egypt has no reason to worry over the dam project

“We do not have any plan to harm downstream countries, Sudan and Egypt. If Egypt has some issues to discuss with Ethiopia, we are very ready to discuss them.”

Ethiopia last week began diverting the flow of the Nile River rising concerns in Cairo.

With regard to the diversion the Ethiopian Minister said “river diversion does not stop the flow of water to the downstream countries”.

He added that the “river diversion means it is the rerouting of the river flow to facilitate the construction in the riverbed, nothing else.”

EGYPT’S NILE PANEL

After the release of the tripartite panel’s report, Egypt’s government has decided to set up its own panel that will follow-up the Ethiopia’s dam being built in Nile River.

The panel established by the Egyptian cabinet will study the potential impacts the dam causes on the amount of water that reaches Egypt.

The panel will deliver its findings to President Mohamed Morsi.

The spokesperson at Ethiopia’s ministry of foreign affairs, Dina Mufti, on Monday told Sudan Tribune that the tripartite panel’s final report will end water disputes.

The tripartite committee was a team of 10 experts, among whom six are from Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia while the four others are international experts.

(ST)