As Ethiopia closes in on its colossal project and Africa’s largest dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the dream of seeing a better life for its citizens seems to power the country on.
Tens of millions of people will be lifted from the shackles of poverty and economic prosperity will be the country’s for the taking. If wholly successful, great industrialisation will be the new story of the giant of the Horn of Africa, yet what fuels Ethiopia’s desires extinguishes Egypt’s hope.
North African giant, Egypt dreads the dam’s existence. Its reality opposes the existential nature of their survival. It is impinging, nauseating, strangulating and choking to the Egyptian dream. For them, it’s a nightmare they can’t seem to wake up from or shake off.
The project has commanded nationalism in both countries. It is a burning topic; one that sets nationals at each other’s jugular. What’s positive for one is negative for the other.
Ethiopia’s dream is legitimate, although limiting on nature’s normal course, yet that’s not a new sight. The mere gigantic presence of the renaissance dam gives Egypt grave concerns and they are not extreme.
The grand-dam sits right where the Blue Nile meets the sea, and that’s dangerous for the Egyptian economy. The dam is capable of becoming a barrier that will limit the measure of water flow that reaches Egypt, bearing in mind that it is the sole source of Egyptian farming and a critical part of its everyday economy.
Ethiopia, mindless of where the shoe pinches Egyptians, are hopeful that the GERD will bring energy and life into the most pedestrian national. It will power more than half of Ethiopian homes and is seen as a nationwide project of great benefits to ordinary citizens.
Poems have been written on it and pop stars have made it the focal point of singles, it is beyond just a dam and everyone in the country buys into the dream.
In Egypt, where climate change and reduced water flow to canals is already affecting its farmers, the tales are sorry. Ethiopia has stayed defiant and has rejected every talk to stop the execution of the project.
Donald Trump, former President of the United States leapt to the defence of Egypt last year and even denied Ethiopia aid, up to the tune of $250million. It only poured more oil into the inferno. Ethiopia hardly dropped a finger.
Sudan, who are the third players in the game have called for a roundtable discussion involving all three countries but the Ethiopian government has played hardball. The Blue Nile is located 40km east to Sudan and will affect the country’s supply also, but if previous events are to be considered at all, Ethiopia is hell-bent on getting its renaissance from the dam.
Last week, Sudan called on the AU, EU, US and UN to mediate in the issue but Ethiopia has since rejected such talks and have refused to be a part of it. Egypt is not giving up as it aims to protect its one big hope.
For Ethiopia, it’s no retreat, no surrender! Lessons can be learnt from the past as climate change is affecting the volume of water bodies. While the Nile is a great river, such a hefty dam sitting on it threatens the existentiality of others’ survival.
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed has said they are not out to hurt other countries but insisted the dark days of his people are over.
“I want to make it abundantly clear that we have no intention to harm these countries. What we are essentially doing is to meet our electricity demands from one of the cleanest sources of energy. We cannot afford to continue keeping more than 65 million of our people in the dark.”
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed
For Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Egyptian President, it is a monopolistic move that threatens the existence of their being. Already, farmers are recording low yields. The dam is made, it is only getting filled now, but as the waters rise in Ethiopia, the hunger increases in Egypt.
The hope is on a water-sharing formula between the three countries but the nightmare of depending on another nation gives Egypt sleepless nights and the world is where they turn to.