Business
UN Calls for Suspension of Giant Hydroelectric Dam in Ethiopia
July 31, 2011 · 17 Comments
NEW YORK — The United Nations has come out in support of critics of Ethiopia’s massive Gibe III hydropower project, calling for work to be suspended until the negative impacts of the dam can be assessed.
The UN World Heritage Committee, which establishes sites to be listed as being of special cultural or physical significance, said the Gibe III dam’s construction endangered the existence of Lake Turkana, the largest desert lake in the world.
In 1997 Lake Turkana, which straddles the Kenya-Ethiopian border, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Gibe III dam is being built by Italy’s Salini Construction company, and a Chinese state-owned bank has approved funding for the project, Kenya’s The Daily Nation newspaper reported.
Both Ethiopia and China, as members of the World Heritage Committee, were asked to fulfill their responsibilities for the protection of the site.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi defended the decision to expand dam projects and scathingly denounced the project’s critics, saying, “The views of western critics are ironic as Ethiopian facilities are infinitely more environmentally and socially responsible than the projects in their countries, past and present,” adding that those who were advocating against hydropower electricity generation were condemning Africa and its people to remain in extreme poverty before concluding, “They are concerned about butterflies’ lives, but not human diseases.”
By Charles Kennedy, Deputy Editor OilPrice.com
Source: OilPrice | 31 July 2011
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Tags: Egypt, Ethiopia, Gibe III dam, Nile, United Nations
Readers Comments (17)
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Yes they do care of Butterfly and alike, while they ignore the devastated drought in Ethiopia in mid 80s. Ethiopia has the right to utilize the God-given waters to safe its population from starvation and irrigate its land for the benefit of its people.
Egypt is behind this UN World Heritage Committee condemnation of the project, and Ethiopia should not allow anyone to intervene their ambition of building this Dam.
Waxii adigaa kaa galeey Itobiaa ama masr siysadoda saheeb.
it is Israel that creates conflict between egypt and ethiopia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T38WjDskI
What sane somali person will support Ethiopia the enemy of the somalis since 1500 and which is now colonizing somali galbeed? over our brother nation Égypt? let us hope Egypt will destroy Ethiopia.
@ Las Anod Boy
walal wankugu racsanahay boqol kiiba boqol laakin mesha siysadba lagaga baxaye la isguma soo jeediyo dowled inaga xoogroon caalamkana si siyasad haanba lola daqma. Why didn't Ethiopia recognize Somaliland? waayo somali wa u cadow wayna ka baqanayaan ama ma aaminikaran Somaliland haadi ay quwad u yeelato
Amal my sister, I will like to say that I always loves to read your posts on this website your love for somalinimo and free of tribalism and hate I have great respect for,.may Allah bless you. As you said the ethiopians are enemies towards all somalis and thats way they have refuse to regonize somaliland, they don't want any somalis to be indepedent from Addis Abba.
I totally disagree with you Las Anod Boy on this one. War mongering isn't gonna get any one anywhere. Egypt doesn't consider Somaliland "brotherly nation''…or Somalia for that matter, they have always pursued their interests at the expense of both. Kissing ass because they are share islam with you is not the way…Religion is never in their mind when it concerns issues of their interest. Just ask your self if they contributed a dollar to the famine….lets not kid ourselves,,,,we have an obligation to respect our neighbors if they respect us. Ethiopia should do what it thinks will serves its interests and what will benefit their people. I doubt what you and I think matters little to them, because ultimately they make that decision.
About the issue of recognition, It is their choice to recognize us or not to recognize us. When you are really politician, you will probably understand it better, but to me I respect their version of the reasoning behind their decision. Deplomatically It makes sense to them not to offend or be accused of dismembering The Somali Republic whom them have troubled histoy with, by side stepping a decision that is before all the other members of the African Union, a union which by the way Addis Ababa is the main Headquaters.
Somaliland has strong economic and militray ties with Ethiopia as well as shares huge pores border. Somaliland protects these interests and makes choices that serve its interests best. It has never depended on Addis Ababa for anything and never will. We shouldn't see everyone who don't share our views on everything as Enemies, I think that is a dengerous road. That is a problem in the South today. They wage war against each other, their own flesh and blood, becuase they belong to the wrong tribe, or professed idea contrary to their own, thus earning them the title "enemy" as you described………………………………… when is this gonna end.
Well said Mr. Abdi. Ethiopia and its then King Negashi have been the first to support Islam and our Prophet has bless Ethiopia and its people. This so-called Ethiopia is the enemy of Somalis is pull shit, and I don't believe a bit. Ahmed Gurey was not even Somali in the first place, and the war that took place was something bigger than what the Somalis believe. You cannot choose your neighbour, but you can choose how to live with, and for that matter, I believe Ethiopia is even closer many who believe we share a common faith.
As I said earlier, Ethiopia has the right to utilize the Nile Waters to its people's advantage, and should not be dettered by any other country or organization.
Couldn't have said it better brother Abdi. We shouldn't pick enemies/friends on the basis of delusional criteria, like religion instead of common interest and vision, which's more realistic. I've lived in Egypt for 6 years. Egyptians are wonderful people and very patriotic. When it comes to their country's interest everything else goes outside the window. They were the first arab/muslim country who signed a peace treaty with the Arab's enemy #1, the state of Israel. Worse than that they sell their natural gas to Israel at around $3 per mbtu (that's million British thermal units — the standard measurement for these things) which's well bellow the market price. The market price for gas is close to $10 per mbtu mark.
They did all that to get access to western investments and Aid (they get more than $ 2 billion annually from the U.S.) , which's significant for their economy. And most importantly to have a political leverage on the west especially The U.S. That political leverage is what helps Egypt sway the U.S. foreign policy to their advantage when it comes to the middle east crisis or more importantly to this whole Nile sharing dilemma. The west is siding with Egypt (a muslim country) against 10 other poor countries (mostly non-muslim) denying them their fair share (Egypt has the lion share, 87 per cent of the Nile's flow) Why??..because its in their interest to side with Egypt. If they care about religion why would they be against Ethiopia which as you guys believe a christian nation? of course they don't see it that way. and by the way Ethiopia is 40% Muslim.
Egypt doesn't give a damn about Somalis or Palestinians or anyone else for that matter, they look after their own interest.
@Las Anod Boy & Amal, don't kid yourselves Egypt is no friend to Somaliland or Somalis in general. Their theory is my enemy's enemy is my friend since we fought the Ethiopians. Now, if the egyptians have political and economic ties with the Jewish State despite their treatment with the Palestinians (their fellow arab&muslim men) what makes you think they deserve our sympathy.
So please stop this old myth that Ethiopia is our enemy. After Allah, without Ethiopia's help we might not have been able to free our country. Its where our women, children and the elderly took refuge when their own countrymen bombed them.
@Las Anod Boy
Thank you for your kind words brother, and I have to say may Allah make me and all of us free of tribalism as it is tribalism that caused much of our grieve and is still hindering our progress to move forward. But Somaliland is slowly by slowly understanding to think beyond their tripe and how to survive in this selfish world and will soon become a strong nation and inshAllah Somalia will regain it's stability and learn from their brothers in Somaliland and Djabuti.
And to abdi and faras cade, i don't know if you understand my post written in somali but I have to say I don't see Ethiopians to be friends of Somalis in general and I don't think Ethiopia wants success for any Somali state, and I don't think Ethiopia can trust Somaliland if Somaliland gains power considering past experience but when it comes to politics I totally agree with you as you don't make enemies rather allies and business partners especially considering that Somaliland is a young country and yet to be recognized and thats why I said to las anod boy caalamka siyasadba lagu mara and I have to say you talk like politician and politics is a dirty game but sometimes you just have to play it.
and i forgot to add Egyptian is our Muslim bothers but they too don't care about Muslim nations if it doesn't serve their interests. You said "Egypt doesn't give a damn about Somalis or Palestinians or anyone else for that matter, they look after their own interest" I have to say unfortunately I agree with you on that. The world is selfish and if you don't learn their tricks you'll lose out
people remember it was Mubarak's regime that did not cared the Palestinians and not the Egyptian people
Egyptian people care about their Palestinian brothers and sisters.
differentiate those regimes and the people thanks god that the Egyptians are working on getting back their self respect.
I HOPE WE WORK ON GETTING BACK OUR SELF RESPECT INSHA ALLAH
Inshallah sister
The shacab in most countries especially Muslim countries are the masakiin but governments I'm talking about and the Egyptian government was one of the WORST unless there is a change now especially that Mubarak is gone. One time there was a big convoy from london to help the people of Palestine and they were refused to get in by the government and they labeled them as terrorist and even refused them to enter the mosque but the shacab there, were happy to see a convoy to help their Muslim brothers in Gaza
Abow Ali
bismillah: east and west home is the best: the way guys from Somali land are speaking are the thinking of the Africans men. the white men in south Africa look down upon the blacks born in their own land……………………other continents are benefiting from this disagreements between the African officials on matters of economic developments……….." just to highlight on the current insurgent conflicts in Somalia. imagine foreign continents are donating criminals to destroyed their own country…..(Somalia)…..the country with the largest water bodies in the world. do u think Ethiopia will have think off constructing this dam………….if they only depend on that largest water body…………….not only Ethiopia……but Africa……… we african we dont know our interest…..and we dont understand our enemies, we are enemies inside enemies.
Be careful of what you say guys. your words might be what is alienating Somalis from each other. To all those who are trying to derail Somaliland march I would say think . Without Somaliland there will be no Somali Unity.If Somaliland population is enbittered and pushed to a corner I don't believe there will ever be peace among our population. SO brothers think rationally. Somalis proverb say "xoolo kaa cararaaya wa la celin kara lakin dad kaa cararaaya lama celin karo" Leave somalilanders alone for they could be the salvation of the Somali people.