Ethiopia -- Collective Harvest 2

For this Collective Harvest, I chose to research and write about the two-day dam talks between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). I chose this event because of my own cultural ties to Ethiopia. Both of my parents immigrated from there because I was born and I have been raised surrounded by Ethiopians, a culture I am proud to call my own. Because of this, Ethiopian politics are a frequent family gathering conversation, increasing my interest in Ethiopian and East African regional affairs.

At this event, the three countries met to talk about Ethiopia’s project to build a dam on the Nile river. This is something that is key to the country’s development, reclaiming resources that other countries have had access to for decades. The negotiations were held in Congo, and ended without an official agreement being made. Ethiopia has also refused to allow the US, UN, EU, and African Union to oversee these negotiations.

Egypt’s foreign ministers claim this shows a lack of willingness for Ethiopia to negotiate in good faith. Sudan’s foreign ministers have even gone as far as claiming that Ethiopia’s moves are a violation of international law. Both countries claim that Ethiopia’s actions are putting all people in the region in danger, stripping them of their water and creating instability in the region. All of these claims Ethiopian officials have yet to respond to.

My research of the dam has only slightly influenced my opinion. The Nile starts in Ethiopia and runs into countries like Egypt and Sudan. However, for the longest time, other countries have benefited from the resources of the Nile, while Ethiopia has not had access to those resources. While the water is important for the economies of other countries, they have had time to utilize those resources and develop in ways that Ethiopia has not. Hopefully an agreement can be made where the dam exists and Ethiopia agrees to share the water, however, I still believe that the dam is a necessity.