OsamaSharshar writes : Run for your life

alhadath – cairo

The response of Nicolas de Rivière, the current President of the Security Council, was verily weird as per Egypt’s complaint lodged to the council against the Ethiopian attitude regarding GERD and its possible ensuing threat to international peace and security. Rivière summarized his view of the conflict between Egypt and Sudan on one side, and Ethiopia on the other. The ‘man’ said that the Security Council hands are tied, except to urge the three parties to negotiate as there is no mechanism to settle the dispute.
The reply, per se, is a major disaster; it simply means the security council washes its hands of settling international disputes, preventing conflicts before they crop up, and extinguishing fires before they break out. The man’s words deny the existence of the UN in itself.. this response, also, exposes his ill intentionsas it foreshadows the council meeting on July 8th to examine Egypt’s complaint of Ethiopian obstinacy and procrastination concerning GERD, as if he were disclaiming, beforehand, the meeting results, crossing all boundaries of diplomacy in an attempt to influence votes of Security Council member states.
This reminds us of an ancient aphorism in Egyptian traditions and customs: “run for your life!” (Literally: save your soul before other souls). The issue is not favorable to international support and care. Inexplicable suspicious silence of all international bodies and organizations looms. Apparently, all cards are played on the table, and the decision rests in the hands of Egypt and Sudan away from any external or national influences.
The world will not show us kindness, serve us with a glass of water, or solve the problems of flood, drought, or famine. We are here speaking of an attempt to exterminate the Egyptian nation by thirst or deluging. We have exhausted all means of negotiations with every “major leaguer” in the world: Arabs, Africans, Europeans, or even international organizations. We are in an unenviable situation facing this Ethiopian extremism at the time when the Washington Post editorial on July 3rdspeaks of Abiy Ahmed’s manipulation of the international community regarding Tigray crisis and blocking humanitarian aid from his people. He even cut off roads and communication by night from more than one million Ethiopian citizens in a case of organized genocide in Tigray, a massive evidence of the man’s disrespect to international agreements or conventions.
Should we expect from this corrupt ruler who exterminated his people to come to terms with a binding legal agreement in the case of filling GERD? No, and a million times no!
There also comes a greater, more dangerous problem. Ethiopia is currently suffering from armed tribal and ethnic factions which while opposing Abiy Ahmed’s rule target the infrastructure and national projects serving the Ethiopian citizen. What guarantees to Egypt that GERD will not be sabotaged in the form of political vengeance against Abiy Ahmed, resulting in the collapse of the dam, devouring everything in its course in Sudan and Upper Egypt?!
This is neither hypothetical nor conceptual, it actually happened in Ethiopia, days ago, when opposition factions targeted Takazi dam, as per Ethiopian government statement!
Should Egypt remain silent to the threat of genocide? Whether extermination by deluging or thirst? I think not.
It is time the dam crisis was dealt with as a matter of life and death to both Egyptian and Sudanese peoples now that Abiy Ahmed and his government made unilateral decisions to fill the dam without reaching a binding agreement.
The talk about GERD is, without exaggeration, a household issue in every Egyptian and Sudanese home. Why the wait, then? The entire nation is in anticipation and anxiety, support and endorsement of resolutions that would appease his anger, and express rejection to Abiy Ahmed and any other Abiy Ahmed worldwide. Fight fire with fire! Face might with might.

This is a real balloon test to some Arab countries, when the moment of truth comes, masks fall and situations are revealed. The Egyptians will know who sides with them in their fight for existence and survival, and who opposes them.
The sound of the diplomacy of strength will ring louder. The world does not respect, will not respect, but the language of strength and determination, in defense of the Nile of Egypt and Sudan, and all countries of the Nile basin, far from conversations and negotiations with those who do not know the meaning of conversation and the principles of negotiations.
Only then, everyone will rush in, attempting to make decisions marked by the power of reality, striving to make peace with Egypt and Sudan, the right owners, and the Nile estuary.
“And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war”
May God be my witness.