CAIRO - Last week this corner asked if the world powers are sincere about supporting the Egyptian revolution and its evolution into the creation of a real democratic civil state of Egypt. Unexpectedly, the answer should be given today and the international community represented in Western governments, and international organisations should clarify their stand on the ongoing cabal being interwoven against Egypt by some African countries. The intention is to reduce Egypt's quota of the River Nile water; if this happened it would mean not only killing the Egyptian dream of progress, but might even kill the Egyptians themselves through thirst and hunger. The African countries are acting under the excuse that the River Nile Treaty, which gave Egypt the biggest quota of the river water, i.e. 55.5 million cubic metres per year, was signed during the British colonial era in 1929. These countries, led by Ethiopia, are today claiming that the treaty is invalid and a new one needs to be signed with a fresh sharing of water. In fact, their real aim is to end Egypt's right of veto on the creation of dams on the river branches, which would influence its flow to the downstream countries. Ethiopia, together with some other four Nile Basin Countries (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania) last May signed a new Nile Basin Initiative at Entebbe with the aim of foisting a new reality on the ground. Last week they managed to convince Burundi to join them to get the necessary majority for depriving Egypt of the right of veto against any hydropower and irrigation projects to be created on the River in these countries. Certainly, these countries have the right to seek the creation of projects enhancing their development and better exploiting the River running through their lands. Furthermore, looked at from a moral viewpoint, Egypt should not stand in the face of these countries to obtain that goal. In addition to these countries having heavy rains and not mainly depending on the River to meet their water needs as does Egypt, Egypt has offered them the benefit of its long experience in the field of irrigation and hydropower projects. Egyptian experts claim the possibility of creating such projects without adversely affecting the River's natural flow towards the north. However, the African countries have insisted on working apart from Egypt and have kept accusing Egypt of selfishness in monopolising the River's water. This stand has aroused Cairo's suspicion of these countries' ulterior motives in targeting Egyptian water security rather than fulfilling certain development projects in their countries, supported by some foreign powers, notably Israel. It is no secret that Israel had requested the late Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat to extend a canal from the Nile to its land within the context of the peace treaty signed by the two countries in 1979. However, Sadat's answer was a loud and reverberating “No” to this request. Since then Israel has been working on strengthening its ties with the other African Nile Basin countries, mainly Ethiopia, so as to jeopardise Egypt's water quota from the River or at least put pressure on it to accept its old request of having a share. Strangely, Israel continued conspiring with these countries against Egypt, while enjoying a good strategic relation with the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak that secured it a cheap supply of natural gas for 20 years to come. So what is expected of Israel towards a democracy that will replace Mubarak and give priority to Egypt national interest over Israel's? This question came to my mind when reading the news of Burundi's signing of the Entebbe treaty despite its previous assurance to Cairo of not approving this accord and accepting Egypt's co-operation in implementing some development projects on its land. While struggling to topple a totalitarian regime that continued to govern Egypt for some three decades, the Egyptian people have not expected to be harmed by their African brethren whose forefathers used to consider Egypt their eldest sisterly country to whom they resorted in their hard times. This was particularly true to the historic role played by late president Gamal Abdel Nasser in helping most of these African nations be liberated from the European colonial powers in the second half of the 20th century. Given these suspicious designs on Egypt's future, a campaign should be launched by Egypt ��" the Government, civil society and youth of the revolution to be directed at the free world to stand by their country's side in this crisis. It should persuade Western governments to refrain from assisting these African countries in the projects they plan to set up that will cut Egypt's water supply. The international organisations should also support Egypt in its case especially given that, since the signing of the 1929 treaty, Egypt has not requested an increase in its quota of the River water, despite the high growth of its population and the serious water shortage many parts of the country started to suffer some years ago, which have brought Egypt to the water poverty threshold. With this limited stable quota of the River water, the population of 85 million Egyptians continues to live on just five per cent of their land. Any decrease in this quota would mean wide desertification of the presently cultivated land, a severe food shortage and massive land and human thirst. Apparently there are many suggestions for the desalination of seawater and creation of new cultivation projects in areas that have proved rich in ground water. However, these schemes need huge funds and some time to be achieved and are required to cope with the expected urban and rural expansion to cope with the continuous growth of population. They cannot be seen as a viable alternative to the River Nile with its fertile valley and delta. The new post-revolution Egypt, which respects nations' rights to progress and development, urges other Africans to turn over a new page of co-operation and fraternity. There is a need to join hands to reach agreement on common interests and boost co-operation between all Nile Basin countries and even the rest of the African continent. It is time for the African people to pay their dues to the Egyptians and stand by them at such a critical turn of history. Dear readers are invited to contribute their comments, views and questions via 111-115 Ramsis St., Cairo or e-mail: ([email protected])
