The U Turn of Egypt and Sudan

By Bereket Sisay

Egypt and Sudan’s syndicate of false allegations on Ethiopia’s use of Nile water, despite its multifaceted and unfolding oddity is nowhere to find a solution. The recent UNSC decision to back the AU-led tripartite negotiation of the three countries by far asserted the dead end of this murky road. Moreover, the latest back-home diplomatic defeat crumbles their futile attempts to twist an international organ to their returns.

The august body unequivocally asserts Egypt and Sudan claim null and void as the council failed to find securitization this economic project. In addition, the council couldn’t get international security dimension though these lower riparian states politicize the matter on a scale never seen and given to such developmental project.

“This is not for the first time when the UNSC reject the cause and refer it back” said Assistant Professor Samuel Teffera, Lecturer in African and Asian Studies Center at Addis Ababa University. Similarly, as it clearly stipulated in article 24 of UN chapter, the primary responsibility of UNSC is “for the maintenance of international peace and security”, there is no less or more. However, Egypt and Sudan bypass this international standard and appealed the council for unprincipled intervention on the dam. Surprisingly, not even a single country subscribed to their plea. It was all vetoed. However, contrary to Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia’s notion gets the highest of approval and has gained comparative advantages of promoting to different stakeholders.

Besides this, an Arab League exertion to stamp the dam as an Arab security threat was also negated. It was basically unacceptable and equate to the height of unprincipled stance.

The Dam is never linked to Arab countries a security threat as the Nile water is natural originates and exists in the mainland of Africa. And, therefore, the issue belongs to Africa and remains to deal with under the big banner of African solutions to African problems. “Arab League is a political entity and Ethiopia should redefine its diplomatic approach toward this organ“ Asst Prof Samuel noted. He further explained that “Ethiopia need to debunk the negative role played by Arab League for the Arab world as Ethiopia has a virtuous record of comforting Muslim communities”.

Hence, Arab League should respect the AU led negotiation and is also anticipated to play a fair and constructive role in bringing possible agreement. As a result, it must be noted that Arab league is political oriented regional organ that has to be challenged through substantial evidences. So, portraying the league as a scared entity and left unchecked would have a huge repercussion effect in the long run as the meddling continues over this colossal dam. Hereafter, this wrecking meddling of the Arab League need to be clogged and as a substitute, the League must poise to an impartial intermediary role.

Once again, UNSC refers the issue back to African Union and call for all parties to resume talks to find a viable solution to their feuds. Making U turn, Egypt and Sudan now switch to AU which they rejected of bringing no solution to the looming disagreement over the dam. Now, it’s time for Egypt and Sudan to reassess their pseudo attitude toward this continental body and to put their full trust on. Egypt and Sudan accusing Ethiopia of obstructing scores of preceding meeting over the dam never bode fruits rather morphed them into a mammoth diplomatic failure.

Beyond that, they must accept Ethiopia’s bold move to use the Nile water for generating electricity to uplift millions of people out of object poverty. Ethiopia is a country of nearby 110 million people where above half of its population lack electricity. These electric powers that set to generate will dramatically changes the lives of many of the people of this poor nation. In addition, the dam also spurs economic integration in Eastern Africa as Ethiopia shares electric power that yet to be generated by the dam.

Therefore, in this regard, Ethiopia’s ambition is crystal clear and constitutes an equally compelling aura of developmental efforts of any states. Time and again, Ethiopia ensuing path of any country that aspires to develop and being a prosperous nation though, Egypt and Sudan latched on to what Ethiopia is doing for years. In line with this, I would like to say that there is no Ethiopian exceptionalism here! Ethiopia wants to grow and develop by using its own resources. Thus, for Ethiopia the Abay water in general and GERD in particular implied the quest for survival for Ethiopia as for Egypt and Sudan.

More importantly, there is no single upper riparian country in the world that repeatedly appeal for reasonable and fair use of water, however, Ethiopia is the only country of its kind willing to implored lower riparian states. Accordingly, Egypt and Sudan should be aware of this genuine cause of Ethiopia and must cease to refer hoary colonial agreements. It’s mind-boggling, there is no such a thing as “historic rights” in international law rather there are only rights and obligations perse instead.

And so, Egypt and Sudan claim of the 1929 and 1959 unilateral colonial agreement repudiates the basic course of international water law. Moreover, it fundamentally lacks tenacity to fix a post-colonial era of cooperation over the use of shared water resources.

Above and beyond, it is important to recall that Ethiopia is building the dam on the basis of the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention and the 1966 Helsinki Rules of International Water Law. The primary essence of these international water laws such as fair and reasonable use of water and causing not a significant harm is still clinging to and dictating the whole process of constructing the dam. Therefore, Egypt and Sudan need to have a paradigm shift in their understanding of the shared water of Nile so as to reach an agreement.

Africa Union, by itself, have to fathom out this pronounced historic responsibility and need to leap on carry out its duties according to its founding charter. AU has a duty to not to slip by the offer up. AU is equipped of all the necessary legal instruments, institutional capacities and human capabilities to nut the problem out. And, therefore, AU should act beyond norm to bring about win-win resolution to all parties to divergence.

Despite this failed attempts, Egypt and Sudan seem to try it on other forms of intervention through UN principal organ such as UN Human Right Council or via country of pro-cause. They are still fully casting about for support. The recent Sudan intention to bring the case to UNHR and Egypt request of Israel to meddle on the dam is the case in point. So, both countries had better of taking a lesson of their preceding worthless attempt of externalizing the case and ought to avoid engaging a zero sum-game of diplomatic shuffle.

In addition, Nile water is the concern of all the riparian countries beyond the underlying wrong perception of Nile belongs to the tripartite states. It must be noted that every riparian country has a natural right to use and utilize the Nile water for their economic benefits. Ethiopia shouldn’t look upon as the only protector of fair and equitable utilization Nile water.

Every riparian states must stick up for the water and is expected to opt in an efforts to sort the water out as a shared resources. Meanwhile, these countries should move toward realizing the Nile commission that has stalled for many years. Riparian states need to cop out the Nile commission as a viable option. This will invariably be an important instrument in providing a platform for cooperation and shared development on the water. Egypt and Sudan edge out to make do with the great cause of instituting the Nile commission.

Against all odds, Ethiopia has now waded through a point of no-return in completion of the long awaited and a patriotic fervor stocked project of GERD. The recent successful completion of the second filling of the GERD cemented Ethiopian ambitious far beyond speculations. “The second filling of the Renaissance dam has been completed and the water is overflowing,” Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s minister for water, irrigation and energy said on Monday. “It means we have now the needed volume of the water to run the two turbines,” he said on Twitter. And, this Ethiopian courageous move hitches an old saying of “The dogs bark but the caravan goes on”.