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| Africa Horn | |
| Egypt asserts right to block upstream Nile dams | |
| 2010-05-19 | |
Four African countries signed the agreement in Uganda last week in a bid to access a greater share of water from the Nile, despite colonial-era pacts that give Egypt the lion's share of the water and allow it to veto upstream projects such as dams. “Any project that takes away from the river's flow has to be approved by Egypt and Sudan in accordance with international treaties,' Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam said. Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia signed the deal on May 14, creating a permanent commission to manage the Nile's waters that did not include Egypt or Sudan. Kenya, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to sign within a year. The new commission would ostensibly have the power to veto energy and irrigation projects in signatory states. Egypt, almost totally dependent on the Nile and already threatened by climate change, is closely watching hydro-electric dams in East Africa it fears may restrict the river's flow. Egypt has already warned that the new agreement lacked legitimacy and plans to press donors for support. Yet upstream countries say they need more water too. Power shortages have hindered investment in Africa even though alternative sources to hydroelectric power exist. The day the pact was signed, Ethiopia inaugurated its Beles Dam, which it says will produce 460 megawatts. After the inauguration, Egyptian media voiced concern the project could reduce the flow of water to Egypt. Some 85 percent of the Nile's waters originate in Ethiopia. Allam said Egypt had no objections to dams or other energy projects upstream on the world's longest river as long as the country's share of 55.5 billion cubic metres was not reduced. Analysts say global donors and banks may be reluctant to finance projects that would harm Egypt's and Sudan's access to water for fear of getting entangled in a regional spat. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 Several astute analysts note that the greatest threat to Islam comes from Christians, but not the Christians most people, including the "Islamic world" think. Namely, exactly the citizens of the four countries noted, as well as a few other sub-Saharan states. Particularly, if Ethiopia and Nigeria ever get their acts together, they are the natural powers, i addition to Egypt, on the continent. It is truly a continent of agony, but the past decade shows movement in the right direction, however minute. Anon1 is correct, though, of what Egypt, and much more likely, KSA, Iran, and so on, will try to keep the pot boiling. Expect Somali-like chaos to spread. It will be interesting to watch the POTUS use his authority in Kenya and the region. Interesting, but who knows to what effect? |
| Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-05-19 16:08 |
| #4 ahhh Afrika. predominantly Christian, Black south unites against Muslim Arab north. Sudan needs to be split in 2 as well. GO THE SOUTH. But Egypt smart, they will destabilise by pitting groups against each other.... civil wars to break out soon in the south. |
| Posted by: anon1 2010-05-19 09:53 |
| #3 Happines is a simple thing. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-05-19 04:10 |
| #2 With that big beautiful bullseye target call the Aswan Dam upstream from most of their people and industry.... they really shouldn't threaten other's dams. A dam war could go seaward really fast for Egypt. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2010-05-19 01:38 |
| #1 I'm interpreting this as EGYPT's polite way of saying they want to MIL MODERNIZE + GO NUKULAAR, as due to ISRAEL NUKES, IRAN'S DESIRE FOR NUKES, NUCLEAR MILITANCY-TERRORISM, + ISLAMIST DESTABILZ OF AFRICA, CENTRAl-SOUTH ASIA. To wit, NET > Curr + Improved variants of IRAN's R-27 LIQUID-FUELED LR BMS effectively puts TEL AVIV, MECCA, CAIRO, BONN + BERLIN + ALL OF CENTRAL-EASTERN EUROPE, AFPAK, PARTS OF WESTERN CHINA + NORTHERN INDIA, + MOSCOW UNDER THREAT OF CONVENTIONAL, NUCLEAR STRIKE. Also read, WHERE RADIC ISLAM = MILTERRS are now waging ARMED INSUSRGENCY + VIOL JIHAD. * ISRAEL FORUM > IRAN AIMS TO SCARE ISRAEL BY [test]FIRING HIZBALLAH-OWNED MISSLES; + IRAN's MISSLE AND NUCLEAR PROGRAMS ARE OUT OF CONTROL [ IRGC MilWeapDev Sections in an internal race to see whom can dev firstest + fastest e.g. COLD WAR SOVIET-COMMIE COMPETING DESIGN BUREAUS] |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-05-19 00:22 |