Open Letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi By G. E. Gorfu: Feb 24, 2005

The BBC’s Mike Thomson (Feb. 3, 2005) reports: “Mr. Meles says he is becoming increasingly angry at Egypt’s long running objections to requests from other Nile basin nations to use the river’s waters for major irrigation projects… While Egypt is taking the Nile water to transform the Sahara Desert into something green, we in Ethiopia – who are the source of 85% of that water – are denied the possibility of using it to feed ourselves. And we are being forced to beg for food every year…”¹

This injustice is simply incredible. I wrote on this very subject about a year ago,² but for an even more exhaustive analysis and a supporting document on the subject, please read the excellent work by Gebre Tsadik Degefu, Dr. Jur. The Nile: Historical, Legal and Developmental Perspectives, Written as a Warning for the Twenty First Century.³

Not only does it use our water, but as proof of its gratitude, Egypt has supported various clandestine forces to undermine Ethiopia. Egypt was behind the Eritrean separatist movements for many decades. Egypt was behind Somalia’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1978. Egypt is behind the OLF organization. Egypt continues to attempt to destabilize Ethiopia and other riparian Nations, e.g., Uganda, in its support of the clandestine front, The Army of God. A consistently stated and executed policy of Egypt ⁴ is to keep all the riparian Nations in a constant state of internal wars and chaos, so that they will never have the stability to utilize the waters of The Nile. As long as Egypt can play this role, it has no need to occupy Ethiopia or any other riparian nation. Now that Ethiopia has had some measure of peace and stability for the last decade or so, Egypt is becoming worried and resorting to saber rattling. Peace in Ethiopia is the one thing Egypt does not like to see.

Dear Prime Minister, I only have one question: When did Ethiopia become a protectorate of Egypt? Otherwise, why on earth is Ethiopia requesting the permission of Egypt to use the waters that rightly belong to her? I am sure you know very well the history of our ancestors: Haileselassie, Menelik, Yohannes, Alula, Tewodros, and many others. Not one of them would ever go this low as to beg Egypt’s permission for the use of a body of water found in the heart of Ethiopia? Why should Ethiopia uphold any treaty signed between Egypt and England, or any other two nations for that matter, to which Ethiopia was not a party of, or is signatory to? Other riparian nations rejected those treaties, and Ethiopia too, should never uphold them. Any such documents should just be shredded and discarded in the most appropriate place, – the trash. What is the request then for?

Was it not for a single clause in the Wuchale Treaty, article 17, where Ethiopia was expected to ask the permission of Italy for all diplomatic communiqué with the outside world that Menelik fought a war? That is how he secured Ethiopia’s freedom and independence? Is it not clear to anyone that Ethiopia, by merely asking for such permission, has by default, already become an Egyptian protectorate?

This is most outrageous, totally unjust, and should not be tolerated. It is no longer is a question of water now, but of the sovereignty of Ethiopia. How did this state of affair come about, that Ethiopia is asking Egypt’s permission?

Is there a Solution?

Let me propose this new idea: – It has been documented that of all the water leaving Ethiopia only 4% or less arrives at Aswan, Egypt, due to the long journey and the resulting evaporation across the hot desert.⁵ Properly utilized, it is clear that there is far more water available in the Nile River than one knows what to do with. If only Egypt’s bellicosity and belligerence could be put aside and cool heads prevail, here is a technical solution to solve this political problem in a way satisfactory to both parties concerned.

There are over 200,000 miles of pipelines stretching in the USA alone⁶ carrying liquid petroleum, liquefied gases, and crude oil, all of which are, not only highly flammable and hazardous materials but, are far less essential than water to the existence of life. This being so, why is it then difficult to pipe 10% of the water, (which would be more than double the water Egypt currently gets) by tapping it directly from Ethiopia? If Ethiopia uses another 10% of the river water for whatever purpose it likes, that would still leave some 80% to flow down the same river bed as it has been doing for thousands of years, and the eco-system intact and least affected.

Many oil pipelines in the world go up and down mountainous terrains and require the use of electric pumps to the push oil upwards. In the case of the Nile however, a gravitational flow of less than 2,000 miles of pipeline is all that is needed, measured from Lake Tana to Aswan Dam, and another five hundred miles or so, to the very heart of Cairo.⁷

Cooperation in water pipeline projects is within the letter and spirit of the “…ambitious goals of establishing regional cooperation and mutually beneficial relationships among all Nile Basin countries,” stated in the opening lines of The Nile Basin Initiative.⁸ The next logical question then is: Who would finance this project? The Millennium Development Plan of the UN⁹ has identified and set aside billions of dollars specifically allocated for just these types of important projects. This pipeline can soon become a reality.

Here is where Ethiopia and Egypt can jointly approach the World Bank with a concrete project proposal and secure the funds necessary to lay the pipelines. There is no reason why this win-win solution should not get an immediate acceptance from Egypt and the entire World Community, and be implemented without any delay.

Other Alternative:

If Egypt should refuse to accept such a plan and continues with its policy of destabilizing riparian nations and its sinister motives however, there are other avenues to take. We are in this so called, ‘New World Order’ where old friends turn out to be enemies and old enemies turn out to be new friends. It is possible Israel could side with Egypt, for the sheer need of water, and America too, end up siding with the unjust aggressor. Hence, Ethiopia needs to pick its cards carefully and play this political/diplomatic game very skillfully in a joint effort with all the other riparian nations on its side. Sometimes, the silk gloves of diplomacy work miracles, and need to be tried here in order to prevent an unnecessary war. But what may not be achieved by diplomacy must ultimately be won in the battlefield. And Ethiopia needs to prepare for just such an eventuality.

When diplomacy fails, the time is then ripe to identify evil for what it is, name it, challenge it, and let the chips fall where they may. The Ethiopian people need to know and identify who, for all these years, the real enemy behind their many enemies and various insurgent movements, has been. Wearing different masks, behind all our enemies, has it not always been one and the same enemy that caused us war, poverty, and famine? Before basic ignorance and illiteracy can be eliminated from Ethiopia and our people are educated in other subjects, the eradication of this serious ignorance must come first, and we need to educate the masses of their real enemy – Egypt.

Dear Prime Minister, you are reported to have said: “And from time to time Egyptian presidents have threatened countries with military action if they move. While I cannot completely discount the saber rattling, I do not think it is a feasible option. If Egypt were to plan to stop Ethiopia from utilizing the Nile waters it would have to occupy Ethiopia and no country on earth has done that in the past.” And the reporter concludes: …But Meles Zenawi believes that the time for talking may already be over:

“The current regime cannot be sustained. It’s being sustained because of the diplomatic clout of Egypt. Now, there will come a time when the people of East Africa and Ethiopia will become too desperate to care about these diplomatic niceties. Then, they are going to act.” (10)
For many years our people have been dying of hunger, thirst, and malnutrition, and it is high time to make a once and for all stand at this juncture of history, and reverse this state of affairs. Ethiopia does not want anything that does not belong to her, but does not want to give away such a precious commodity either, especially not at the expense of the life and well being of its people. If we must die, and death is not new to us Ethiopians, – it has been our constant friend and companion at every corner, thanks to those who want a piece of our land or water by fomenting discord and trouble in our land – let us then die with dignity. Let our people die an honorable death fighting injustice, trying to secure what belongs to them, than to die of thirst, hunger, malnutrition, and recurring famines.”

Dear Sir, you are absolutely right. The time for talking has long passed, and the time for action has been long overdue. You have arrived at this moment of history to prepare the Ethiopian people to reclaim what rightfully belongs to them and correct this injustice. The anger you expressed, reported by the BBC, is the holy anger felt by every Ethiopian through every fiber of our being. This injustice should not be allowed to go on any more.

Dear Prime Minister, make this your historic mission and destiny, and all Ethiopians not only will be united behind you, but will be galvanized as they have never been galvanized on any other issue. Ethiopians will rally behind you and secure that freedom forever. May the God of Ethiopia go with you, enable, and ennoble you to rise to this historic mission.

With all due respect,

G. E. Gorfu, Feb. 20, 2000

Notes: