Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan committee to meet over fate of consultancy firms
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
October 13, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) –The National Tripartite Committee of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt is due to meet later this month, weeks after a withdrawal of a Dutch consultancy firm, Deltares which was studying impacts of Ethiopia’s dam project on downstream countries.
After the Dutch firm Deltares withdrew from the assessment, the Egyptian government requested an urgent meeting in Cairo but Ethiopia demanded postponement because a new government was under formation.
Deltares argued it withdrew because the firm wasn’t provided with enough guarantees to carry out an independent and high quality study.
Deltares was tasked along with a French consultancy firm to study impacts of would be Africa’s largest dam.
The two foreign consultancy firms were supposed to submit a joint agreed report on 5 September to experts and to respective governments of the three countries.
According to reports from Cairo, the three parties will meet later this month as part of the ongoing negotiations to resolve the long-running conflict over the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam.
But it is not yet clear where they will meet but it is expected to be held in Cairo.
“We are currently discussing the next tripartite meeting between the irrigation ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to decide over the fate of both the French and the Dutch consultancy firms. It is expected to take place within the last 10 days of October” said Egypt’s irrigation minister, Hossam Moghazi, in press statement on Monday.
Egypt which lies downstream of the dam project has strongly been opposing construction of any projects on the Nile River, which Ethiopia is a source to 85 % of its water resources.
A 1929 and 1959 treaties agreed along with Sudan and the UK has given Egypt historic rights to the river further granting the North African nation the right to veto any projects upstream.
Egypt fears the $ 4.2 billion project of Ethiopia could ultimately diminish its water shares.
However Ethiopia says the project never intended to harm Egyptians but is a symbol of cooperation among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Ethiopia which intends to join middle income countries by 2015 is investing billions of dollars on mega projects as part of the nation’s efforts to combat poverty and bring sustainable development.
Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam is 1,780m long and 145m high dam which will have a capacity to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity.
(ST)