Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, is a frequent guest on international news programs in discussions of event in Africa, the Middle East and the United States. Azikiwe also hosts a radio program called the Pan-African Journal., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
June 19, 2013 by heartofafrica
To listen to this broadcast hosted by Kudakwashe Cayenne and featuring Abayomi Azikiwe, just click on the website below:
http://heartofafricamedia.com/2013/06/19/the-nile-dispute-the-unended-darfur-war/
This week Kudakwashe hosts African Historian, Political Analyst & Editor of Pan-African News Wire, Abayomi Azikiwe in a two-part discussion on the current dispute between Egypt & Ethiopia, over the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam; and the unended war in Darfur, which has been widely publicised to have ended 10 years ago.
According to Press TV, last month, Ethiopia announced that it had begun diverting the flow of the Blue Nile for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam, the USD$4.2-billion hydroelectric plant. This issue sparked outrage in Egypt, to the point of Egypt’s politicians threatening military action in retaliation.
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi has reportedly said, while Egypt has “keen interest” in maintaining diplomatic relations with African countries, especially Sudan and Ethiopia, it was also keen not to risk losing a “single drop of Nile water.”
Egypt’s presidential advisor Ayman Ali has also warned that “all options are open” if the dam affects Egypt’s water supply. Adding to that he said, Egypt’ has a right to defend its interests, just as other people have a right to seek after their own interests.
Egypt has made all these assertions yet it is also reported that the Nile River in Egypt has become highly polluted, and has turned into a refuse dump for dead animals and garbage.
Last year the Business Insider also reported that Egypt, in co-operation with Sudan, was prepared to bomb all of Ethiopia’s Nile dams. “In 2010 Egypt discussed taking military action in cooperation with Sudan against Ethiopia to protect their stake in Nile River, according to internal emails from the U.S. private-security firm Stratfor.”
This month, Sudan which has in the past stood in solidarity with Egypt has voiced that the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam will be of great benefit to Sudan, reducing reliance on rainfall. Both Sudan and Ethiopia would benefit. But for Egypt, the dam is feared to cause serious water shortages.
Zvi Mazel reports that for untold generations, Egypt has been accustomed to claiming the Nile as its own property, only unwillingly allowing Sudan to have a small part of the river’s flow. This is regardless of the fact that the Nile flows through 11 African countries.
Press TV states that the Nile, located in the northeast Africa, is the longest river in the world. It supplies water to Egypt and Sudan, formed from two rivers – the Blue Nile that starts in Ethiopia and the White Nile, which starts in Uganda. Egypt depends on the Blue Nile.
The Nile flows south to north. It is among a handful of rivers in the world to do so, and one of only two in Africa. Therefore Cairo is not located at the mouth of this extensive water supply, but benefits from the tributaries that form it.
In a British colonial treaty of 1929, out of the 85 billion cubic meters flowing annually in the Nile river, Egypt received 48 billion and Sudan 4 billion. The treaty was amended in 1959, where Egypt was now allowed to receive 55.5 billion cubic meters and Sudan 18.5, annually.
This was 87% of the annual flow of the Nile, only leaving 13% to the Upper Nile countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya and Congo. Ethiopia is not compelled to be loyal to colonial treaties.
The other dynamic in this contention is the role of China. Radzinski, Nisman, and Asulin, assert that the fact that Egypt’s economy is on the decline, while Ethiopia’s own economy is rising, leaves the West with limited control for “tipping the scales back in their favour”.
China on the other hand, is said to have tactfully manipulated the long-brewing conflict between Africa’s two major powers, Egypt and Ethiopia, to its benefit, as it gradually replaced the USA and its allies as the “continent’s new kingmaker”.
With such an extensive background, Abayomi draws in more fundamental historical and contemporary issues to this matter, emphasising that this dispute is in fact not new, but long standing over hundreds of years, through the different periods where diverse empires have ruled over Egypt because of the Nile. Ethiopian Kings have historically warned Egypt of their authority to divert waters of the Nile but did not act on these threats.
Of importance, Abayomi reveals that this dispute was institutionalised as a result of colonialism, with favouritism being given to Egypt by the British. Therefore, this dispute is a direct result of the rough-cut divisions of Africa’s land done by European colonisers, disregarding the naturally existing shared histories, ethnicities, tribes, cultures, and even use of Africa’s water-ways.
Abayomi also informs the audience of other regional dynamics involving Egypt and Ethiopia, that surround this dispute. Hence this dispute falls amidst a complex context. But sternly warns that Egypt must tone down its rhetoric, because if a war does break out, it will not only affect the north-east region of Africa, but central Africa too, the other region in which the Nile flows through.
Our second topic, focuses on the seemingly new conflict in Darfur. Media generally informs the world that the Darfur war ended 10 years ago, and that recently reported clashes, beginning January this year, form part of a new resurging conflict. However a closer analysis reveals that the Darfur war never ended even though the world is made to believe otherwise. The so called peace efforts from the mid-2000s have intensified conflict instead of reducing it; and the Janjaweed gunmen are still terrorising the region.
The UN reports that in the first 5 months of this year 300 000 people were displaced in Darfur due to resurging fighting. It adds that, though regional violence has reduced from peak fightings, there has been an increase in fighting in Darfur. However, examining other reports reveals that armed and verbal conflicts are rife between Sudan and South Sudan.
Abayomi again discusses vast historical and contemporary issues that impact instability in Darfur, including the significant involvement of regional nations like Chad and Mali, and multi-national co-oporations like Coca-Cola.
He also informs the audience of the plans of USA and Israel to split Sudan into 3 regions – Sudan, South Sudan, and Darfur. Darfur has actually been long administered separate to Sudan and South Sudan even before South Sudan was given “independence” in 2011.
Highlighting that the Sudan crisis is also rooted in colonisation, Abayomi asserts that a solution to this situation, can therefore be perceived in the context of restoring the original existence of Africa’s land, disregarding the demarcations instated by colonisation.
However comprehensive political solutions, will be required, otherwise the same problems will re-emerge not only in the Sudan region, but across Africa – innovative inter-state and intra-state relations will be paramount. This calls for African countries to be dedicated to all encompassing continental unity, than ever before.
Abayomi Azikiwe’s work is mainly available from Pan-African News Wire at panafricannews.blogspot.co.uk/. The Pan-African News Wire is an international electronic press service designed to foster intelligent discussion on the affairs of African people throughout the continent and the world.
Since January 1998, this press agency has published thousands of articles and dispatches in newspapers, magazines, journals, research reports, blogs and websites throughout the world. Abayomi is also a frequent commentator on global political matters across various international media, including Press TV & Russia Today. He is available on facebook and twitter too.
Kudakwashe concludes the broadcast imparting relative and applicable biblical perspectives on restorative justice. Heart of Africa is broadcasted every Wednesday night at 2100 hours Central Africa Time on www.morelightradio.com. It is dedicated to examining matters that affect Africa from a Pan-African Christian perspective, as we envisage the revival of the African dream.
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