Trump’s Statement on GERD Reckless, Contradicts International Fundamental Principles--- Experts

Addis Ababa, October 24/2020 (ENA)  The statement made by the US president on Friday about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) contradicts the fundamental principles of the United Nations (UN) Charter, which prohibits countries from engaging in exacerbating hostilities among nations.

President Donald Trump raised on Friday a complex issues related to the Hydro-politics of the Nile and he suggested that Egypt may destroy the GERD.

Whereas, early in this morning Ethiopia said it will not cave-in to aggression of any kind, nor does the country give recognition to right that is entirely based on colonial treaties on GERD.

In a phone interview with ENA, Dejen Yeman, Law School Lecturer at Wollo University said Trump’s statement on GERD not only irresponsible but it also contradicts with principles of the UN Charter that forbids member states exacerbating hostilities, endangering the peace and security of countries across the world.

According to the Expert, Trump’s statement also violates the rights of 110 million Ethiopians that strive to defeat poverty by using their own resources, the Nile River.

He further stated that the statement made by Trump is an attempt to perpetuate historical injustices that have prevailed  for centuries in matters of the Nile River.

This is a clear demonstration that the negotiation held in Washington in the presence of representatives from the US under Trump's administration did not work out due to lack of neutrality, according to Dejen.

“His latest statement proves Trump’s partiality that clearly favored Egypt from the very beginning of the negotiations just to serve its own interests in the Middle East.”

Assistant Professor at the Center for African and Oriental Studies and Associate Dean for Research and Technology Transfer at the Addis Ababa University, Samuel Tefera said on his part that Donald Trump’s statement is extremely provoking.

“ It is  a wrong direction that  could destabilize East Africa as well as the entire region,” he said.

However, Samuel hoped that this kind of incidents will provide Ethiopia with an opportunity to strengthen its diplomatic approach by involving various stakeholders, including other riparian countries for equitable utilization of the Nile River.  

The experts have also called on Ethiopians to strengthen their all round efforts to realizing the dam by giving a deaf ear to the irresponsible and irrational statements being made by some elements like this one.