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Source: Dubai-Arabia.net
Two days after Ethiopia’s request for a US clarification on what was raised about the upcoming sanctions due to the Renaissance dam file, the US response came, indirectly confirming that Addis Ababa’s unilateral move regarding the filling of the prey will not go unnoticed.
The United States officially announced that it had suspended some of its financial aid to Ethiopia in response to the decision to start filling the dam before reaching an agreement with Egypt and Sudan on this huge hydroelectric project they are building on the Blue Nile.
A spokesman for the US State Department said in a statement late Wednesday that “due to Ethiopia’s unilateral decision to fill the Renaissance Dam without an agreement with Egypt and Sudan,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, it “decided to temporarily suspend part of the aid allocated to Ethiopia.”
However, the statement did not specify the amount of aid covered by the suspension decision or the duration of its suspension.
The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile on July 21
‘Serious risks’
The statement also emphasized that “the United States is increasingly concerned about the lack of progress in the negotiations to reach a tripartite agreement on the filling and management of the Renaissance dam.”
Washington explained that its decision to suspend part of the aid destined for Ethiopia reflects the “concerns” of the United States about the Ethiopian decision, considering that starting to fill the reservoir of the dam “before taking all the security measures” entails “serious risks to the population of downstream countries “.
Furthermore, the US State Department spokesman added in his statement that moving to “occupy the position during the negotiations undermines the confidence of other parties”, accusing the Ethiopian government of failing to fulfill its “obligations” in terms of waiting for the fate of the African Union-led negotiations before taking any practical steps.
He emphasized that Washington “is conducting intensive talks with the three governments” with the aim of “facilitating their access to a fair and equitable agreement that achieves a balance” between “their interests.”
He also added that the US administration would not hesitate to use “all the tools at its disposal” to pressure the three countries to reach the desired agreement.
Ethiopia’s ambassador to Washington, Fitzum Ariga, announced Tuesday in a Facebook post that he had received assurances that any reduction in US aid to his country would be “temporary.” “The dam is ours and we will complete its construction with our sleeves,” he said.
‘Growing concern’
Notably, the Renaissance Dam, which Addis Ababa began construction in 2011, will become the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa upon completion, with a production capacity of 6,000 megawatts.
But this vital project for Ethiopia, which was built at a height of 145 meters, generates strong tensions between it and both Sudan and Egypt, which share the waters of the Nile with Ethiopia and fear that the dam will limit the amount of water that reaches them.
Since 2011, the three countries have been negotiating to reach an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, but despite the passage of these years, they have not been able to reach an agreement.
From Khartoum … a fishing boat on the Nile River (Archives – France Press)
Vital importance
While Ethiopia views the electricity expected to be generated from the Renaissance Dam as vitally important for boosting development projects in the impoverished country with a population of more than 100 million people, Sudan and Egypt fear that it will Dam threatens the flow of Nile water, most of which originates from the Blue Nile, where it was built. Its repercussions could be devastating for its economy and its water and food resources, especially for Egypt, where the Nile supplies 97 percent of its water needs.
Ethiopia had previously expressed reservations about interference by other parties to the conflict, especially after a mediation attempt by the United States, at the request of Egypt, which ended in failure in February, and Addis Ababa accused Washington of being biased. towards Cairo.
Dam of the Great Renaissance (France Press)
Egypt and Sudan also underline “the need to reach a binding agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the three countries in accordance with the Declaration of Principles Agreement signed in 2015 and the principles of international law, provided that it guarantees an effective and binding mechanism. for the solution of controversies “. However, Addis Ababa rejects this matter as its property.
It should be noted that Addis Ababa this year carried out the first phase of filling the dam’s reservoir, with the objective of the first two turbines, which is a crucial step to start producing energy.
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