Ethiopias Sovereign History Renders All Colonial Era Nile Treaties Signed Without Its Participation Null And Void
Ethiopia: GERD Inauguration Nears, Nation’s Development Aspirations Take Center Stage
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — In a matter of weeks, Ethiopia is set to inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a monumental hydroelectric project poised to double the nation’s energy output and significantly advance its industrialization efforts. After more than a decade of construction and a cost of nearly $5 billion, funded entirely through domestic resources, the GERD stands as a testament to Ethiopia’s unwavering commitment to self-reliance and national development.
This dam is a powerful reflection of a nation’s unwavering commitment to its future, a true symbol of national pride embodying Ethiopia’s sovereignty, resilience, and unity. What makes it even more remarkable? It was fully financed by Ethiopians alone – zero external loans or donors.
The Ethiopian Perspective: A River of Opportunity
While the construction of the GERD has garnered international attention, the Ethiopian perspective, often underrepresented in global media, highlights the dam’s crucial role in the country’s future. Built on the Blue Nile, or Abay as it’s known in Ethiopia, the dam taps into a resource that originates primarily from the Ethiopian highlands, contributing a substantial 86 percent of the Nile’s water flow to downstream nations.
For Ethiopia, the GERD is far more than just a power plant; it represents a “national ticket out of darkness and poverty.” With a population of 130 million, projected to reach 200 million by 2050, and currently only 55 percent of citizens having access to electricity, the demand for energy is immense.
The GERD is designed to generate approximately 5,150 megawatts of electricity, producing an annual energy output of 15,760 gigawatt hours. This will not only illuminate homes and power industries within Ethiopia but also facilitate energy exports to neighboring countries, fostering regional integration and interconnectedness.
Dispelling Misconceptions: Benefits for All Riparian States
Ethiopian officials emphasize that the GERD’s primary purpose is electricity generation, a process that inherently requires water to flow to downstream countries after passing through its turbines. Therefore, the dam does not block or stop the river’s flow, as doing so would render electricity generation impossible.
Furthermore, the dam is expected to offer significant benefits to lower riparian states, including the prevention of flooding, reduction of sedimentation, and minimized water loss through evaporation.
Challenging Colonial-Era Treaties: A Call for Equitable Cooperation
Despite the clear developmental and regional benefits, the GERD has faced objections from some lower riparian countries, particularly Egypt. From Ethiopia’s standpoint, these objections are rooted not in legitimate concerns but in an adherence to anachronistic colonial-era water-sharing agreements. Specifically, the 1929 agreement between Britain and Egypt and its 1959 derivative between Egypt and Sudan are cited. Ethiopia was not a party to either of these treaties, and it consistently rejects arguments based on arrangements in which it had no say.
Jafar Bedru Geletu , Executive Director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs, an expert in intelligence, national security policy, and strategic advisory, underscored Ethiopia’s position in an opinion piece for Aljazeera. “From an Ethiopian point of view, this anachronistic argument, often presented as ‘historic rights over the Nile’ is unacceptable,” Geletu stated. He argues that just as Britain does not have the right to dictate the use of the Thames to other nations, it could not dispose of the waters of the Nile or the Abay.
Ethiopia advocates for a cooperative framework for the Nile, viewing it as a shared natural resource where the developmental aspirations of all nations are equally legitimate. The nation firmly believes that the needs of some should not be prioritized over the needs of others.
A Path Forward: The Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement
Ethiopia proposes that a fair, just, and inclusive arrangement, reflecting 21st-century realities, is essential. Such an arrangement already exists in the form of the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement. This contemporary, African-initiated treaty aims to promote sustainable management and equitable use of the Nile and has already been signed and ratified by Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Sudan.
Ethiopia urges Egypt to abandon its focus on a “bygone colonial era” and instead join these nations in their collaborative efforts to ensure the fair and equitable utilization of the Nile in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all.
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