U.S.A Blamed for "Putting Its Thumb on Scale in Favor of Egypt"

ENA March 3/2020 Reacting to the recent statement of the US Treasury Department "which appreciates the readiness of Egypt to sign the U.S.-brokered agreement but warns Ethiopia", former U.S.

Ambassador to Ethiopia David H. Shinn blamed USA for putting its thumb on the scale in favor of Egypt.


In a written statement he posted during the weekend, Shinn said "the statement by the Treasury Secretary is strange in that it appreciates the readiness of Egypt to sign the U.S.-brokered agreement, which is not part of the public record, but warns Ethiopia that final testing and filling should not take place without an agreement."

The former ambassador challenged the administration saying, "Perhaps it is time to make the agreement public so that everyone can see what the United States is proposing."

The diplomat further pointed out that "the fact that the U.S. Treasury Department is in charge of this effort is surprising. In any other administration, the State Department, which actually has expertise on this issue, would broker the agreement. So I wonder. What is the United States up to?" 

Shinn stated that it is essential that the fill rate not harm Sudan and Egypt. But it is also essential to fill the reservoir in a manner that will allow Ethiopia to produce hydropower without unreasonable delays.

Ethiopia has not yet signaled that it is prepared to accept the agreement and, apparently, neither has Sudan, he noted.

According to the diplomat, "U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, at the request of President Trump, has been meeting since early this year with representatives of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia in an effort to reach an agreement on the fill rate of the reservoir behind Ethiopia's large hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River, known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The dam is about 70 percent complete."

He elaborated that the Blue Nile provides more than 50 percent of the water that eventually reaches Egypt via the Nile River. While the reservoir behind the dam is being filled, it will hold back water that would normally flow to Sudan and then Egypt. It is (therfore) essential that the fill rate not harm Sudan and Egypt. But it is also essential to fill the reservoir in a manner that will allow Ethiopia to produce hydropower without unreasonable delays."

The diplomat finally concludes his piece by wondering what role the U.S.is playing and what the United States is up to?