EWAC Press Release
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June 21, 2020
In a Nutshell: The Nile is the only major world river that is not governed by a comprehensive treaty with all riparian countries as signatories. Such a treaty must address equitable water allocation, holistic basin management, and appropriate consultations on major water projects. In the absence of such a treaty, Egypt and Sudan have monopolized Nile water resources and continue to resist the call by the upper riparian countries for an amicable settlement. We urge Egypt and Sudan to negotiate such a treaty in good faith. Regarding the technical matters with Ethiopia’s GERD, we urge Ethiopia to proceed with the filling of the dam in a prudent way and continue to insist on utilizing its sovereign waters as it sees fit.. Read More
.June 9, 2020
To: Congresswoman Karen Bass, Chairperson, of the Congressional Black Caucus
Subject: Solidarity
Note on the ongoing global protest for justice and racial equality
The racial
disparity in this great nation of the world built by immigrants which included
our black forefathers has been widening over the last several decades. The
Civil Rights movement of the sixties has brought the disparity to light and has
generated some laws designed to decrease it but since then the challenge has
become more subtle and systemic. The current COVID 19 pandemic and the
subsequent disproportional black deaths is a glaring example of the systemic
and deep entrenched nature of racism and racial disparity in America.
As people of
African origin and coming from the land of the origin of mankind, we Ethiopians
have always recognized the enormous sacrifices and contributions of African-Americans
in the liberation struggle and prosperity of Africa. The massive rallying and
volunteerism shown by African-Americans during Italian Fascist invasion of
Ethiopia is a glaring example of solidarity that kept our nation uncolonized in
Africa and the pride of the black race.
African-American
scholars, artists and spiritual leaders have identified with Ethiopia and its
cultural heritage. Most recently, the renowned Civil Rights Leader Reverend
Jesse Jackson wrote a moving letter in defense of Ethiopia’s legitimate and
sovereign rights to harness its share of the waters for the betterment of its
people and expressed dismay at current American administration’s and the World
Bank’s outrageous partisanship with Egypt, which is still riding the dead horse
of European colonialism, at the expense of Ethiopia and its people.
Washington DC, June 2020. የኢትዮጵያ ውሃ ጉዳዮች መማክርት/Ethiopian Waters Advisory Council (EWAC) ስራውን ከጀመረበት ጊዜ አንስቶ በአቋቋማቸው የተለያዩ ጥናታዊ ቡድኖች አማካይነት በርካታ ጥናቶችን በማካሄድ ባለ አስር ነጥብ መሰረታዊ የመግባቢያ ሰነድ በቴክኒካል፣ በታሪክ፣ በትምህርትና በኢኮኖሚክስ ቡድኖቹ ትብብር አዘጋጅቶ የኢትዮጵያን ፍትሃዊ ተጠቃሚነት ለማረጋገጥ እየተንቀሳቀሰ እንዳለ ይታወቃል። ምክር ቤቱ ከጅማሬው የበርካታ ምሁራኖችን ፊርማ በማሰባሰብ ለአሜሪካን መንግስትና ለዓለም ባንክ የቅሬታ ደብዳቤዎችን አስገብቶ ከዓለም ባንክ ሃላፊዎች ጋር ውይይት በማድረግ የኢትዮጵያን ፍትሃዊ ተጠቃሚነት የዓለም ባንክ እንዲያከብርና ከአድልዎ እንዲጠበቅ አሳስቧል። Read More
Global Engagements
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#Egypt has to get off its high horse and negotiate in good faith with all upper riparian countries. Egypt’s insistence on colonial treaties and its in-sensitiveness to others’ needs will only put her at odds with Ethiopia and other upstream Nile Basin countries.
No nation has the right (not British, not France, not the USA) to negotiate and give away what is not theirs to give, and Ethiopia cannot be forced to honor a colonial agreement to which she had not been a signatory.
The international panel of experts found the dam “would not cause significant harm on both the lower riparian countries and offers high benefit for all the three countries.”
Generosity, magnanimity, and the pursuit of collective peace and prosperity have been the defining characteristics of Ethiopians.
Egypt changed its war strategy from national level confrontation to political destabilization within Ethiopia by manufacturing ethnic divisions inside Ethiopia.
Nile is the only major river in the world without a treaty among riparian states.
Egypt’s aquifers hold enough fresh water to last it 300-400 years at the rate of its current water consumption.
#Egypt knows it cannot convince #Ethiopia, but it is trying to persuade everyone else. It knows it cannot win the legal argument.