Egypt’s attempt to enforce British colonial-era treaties in collaboration with the supremacist Somali government, and racist Trump does not spell stability for the Horn of Africa.

Egypt has proceeded to use the dam to build a security alliance, by roping in Somalia and Eritrea, which have had historical grievances against Ethiopia that resulted in devastating wars in the past. However, despite Egypt’s wading into the troubled Horn of Africa using Ethiopia’s dam as a justification, it has not shown any evidence that its water supply has reduced during the GERD’s construction or filling process, which shows that its hostility is motivated by other reasons. This article evaluates whether GERD presents a threat to Egypt’s water supply and national security, to understand its motivation for intervening in the volatile Horn of Africa.

Egypt’s and Ethiopia’s Politics, and Rights

While Egypt receives 90% of water from the Nile, making its concerns about GERD genuine, its precondition that Ethiopia halt the construction before any negotiations revealed ill-will. Egypt’s demand ignored Ethiopia’s legitimate interests over its resources, extending from equality of humans and nations. The rights of 117 million Egyptians to water and electricity does not supersede those of 133 million Ethiopians. Noteworthy, the latter is the source of the Blue Nile and Atbara rivers that are important tributaries to the Nile. Egypt could have requested to participate in contributing ideas to ensure that both countries have equitable access to water. Oppositely, the Ethiopian government under Meles Zenawi had offered to share the Dam’s blueprints with Egypt for coordination but the latter, which was openly high-headed declined, and instead threated to bomb........

© New Eastern Outlook