NY/NJ Hope for Ethiopia (08 July 2021)
Ethiopia is a founding member of the United Nations that believes in and abides by international laws including the 1997 international water laws for equitable utilization. In 1964, King Haile Selassie of Ethiopia who presided over the establishments of the League of Nations & the United Nations planted the seeds of the GERD (Grand Renaissance Ethiopian Dam).
While unfortunate political and economic conditions have delayed the GERD, some of the same nations that are meeting today to decide its fate have placed every possible hurdle to prevent Ethiopians from starting and completing the dam (due to heavy lobbying by Egypt). The GERD is now in its final phase thanks to the bravery of Ethiopians, including mothers who saved and donated their daily family allowance and poor teachers/soldiers who gave their monthly salaries. That is why Ethiopians consider the GERD as a national pride and a down payment to get future generations out of poverty.
From the design to the construction of the Dam, Ethiopia did everything in its power to make sure it remains a good, law abiding and responsible neighbor, informing Sudan and Egypt of critical activities and progress on the construction of the Dam.
Members of the Security Council include the United States (US) and Great Britain (GB), who have been working hard to twist the hands of the current Ethiopian government to appease their greedy ally, Egypt. The following reasons clearly demonstrate conflict of interest that should disqualify the two member countries from participating in any decisions regarding the GERD
The US siding with Egypt and suspending aid to Ethiopia over the Blue Nile Dispute in 2020, showing its bias on the GERD.
The former US President suggesting Egypt should bomb the project. A strong indication of the US policy regarding the GERD.
Great Britain being the former colonial power that wrote and signed the 1929 treaty of the Nile, which is unjust and racist giving the lion’s share of the Nile waters to one country without any consultation or regard to source countries.
Recent hand twisting and exertion of extreme pressure on the Ethiopian government by the US and GB on unrelated matters designed to bring the leaders of Ethiopia to their knees and to make them accept and sign agreements that would harm their nation.
Considering the above facts, it would be unwarranted for the US and GB to have any say on the GERD. Moreover, it would be a huge mistake for the Security Council to try to guard a treaty solely written to satisfy colonial greed.
Ethiopia, as well as the two other countries that claim ownership of the Nile waters, Sudan and Egypt, are part of Africa. Hence, African problems should be left to be solved by African nations, and not by a security council that is dominated by former colonialist and current neo-colonialist powers that never had the best interests of Africans at heart.
We stand against the UN Security Council meddling in Ethiopia
UN Security Council, Hands off the GERD!
Sincerely, NY/NJ Hope for Ethiopia