On March 6, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed on the basic principles governing water cooperation, in the wake of the decision taken by Cairo, on 21st February, to return to the Nile Basin Initiative, which Egypt boycotted for over five years. This is despite that the Renaissance Dam constitutes a danger to Egypt’s share of Nile water, which is a vital necessity to feed the Egyptian people.

Ethiopia and Sudan own geopolitical advantage over Egypt; being in control of the stream flows, and are unlike Egypt, which is located last in line of the nine countries sharing the Nile River. It is well known that Egypt depends on the constant flow of river water, but the Renaissance Dam harms the flow of the Blue Nile, which supplies the Nile Valley with about 85% of its needs.

There is no doubt that the Renaissance Dam, which is constructed by Ethiopia, will result in converting more than a million acres into barren land, thirst of the Egyptians, destruction of crops, thirsting Egypt and stealing its share of the Nile water which is already suffering from water poverty. The Sudanese Minister of Water Resources and Electricity, Mutaz Musa, had said that the agreement “will primarily put the region, which includes Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, in the right and natural course, which is consistent with the interests of the people”.

Ethiopia had announced that it is to begin constructing a dam, with a height of 92 meters and a storage capacity of 14 billion cubic meters of water. But unexpectedly, and without any prior notification, everything changed, and it became clear that the dam height will be more than the advertised height, so far 145 meters high, with a reservoir that will hold 74 billion cubic meters of water. Additionally, a 46 meters high saddle dam will be constructed. All these actions will lead to a catastrophe; this is because, while filling the dam reservoir, the share of water coming from the Blue Nile will decrease by a rate of 70%, which would lead to draining the Egyptians of all the water in Lake Nasser during the four years planned to fill the reservoir.

So, how is an agreement of such gravity signed without discussion or accountancy? This signing makes the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam an official, legitimate and legal dam, by the agreement and concession among the three Eastern Nile countries; Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and in return there is no guarantee for Egypt’s share of the river water. This enables Ethiopia from the acquisition of the entire river, and lifts the international financial embargo on funding the dam; which amounts $5.5 billion from the National Bank of China, one billion dollars from Italy and an equal amount from South Korea. In addition to the World Bank’s approval for the issuance of Ethiopian bonds for financing to ensure repayment.

There is no doubt that Sudan also is not immune to the massive damage caused by the dam that will inflict it despite the abundance of water in it from heavy rains. This is because all the Sudanese officials are ignoring the risks of the dam, as they only reiterate that the dam would avoid Sudan the scourge of floods, as well as provide electricity to Sudan at affordable prices, and they do not mention any drawbacks of the dam. And so is the nature of the traitors of the rulers who do not care about anything but what keeps them on their chairs.

This agreement did not provide any guarantees for not harming Egypt, except paying compensation to the Egyptian side if it is proved that there is possible damage caused to it! So, will this compensation return the land that has been barren or rather it will go to the pockets of the agents and traitors?

The signing of the framework agreement, or what is known as the agreement on the principles, by Sisi in Khartoum, before the Egyptian people know the solutions offered to the crisis, is an unforgivable crime against Egypt, a squander of Egypt’s water rights and a new conspiracy to loot the wealth of the Ummah. Especially that the agreement completely ignored talking about the dam capacity, and was satisfied by what was requested by Ethiopia, with full acceptance and incredible complacency. As well as it totally did not address the rights of Egypt, and the historical agreements; the first of which is the 1902 Agreement with Ethiopia, where the latter pledged not to build dams on the Blue Nile or Sobat River without the approval of Egypt and Sudan.

It is understood that the strength of the Renaissance Dam structure is not more than one degree from a possible nine degrees; according to experts, which means that it is a weak worn-out building, as if it was built to collapse at the slightest strike or blow! Moreover, its close proximity to the Sudanese border means that Ethiopia will not be affected if it collapsed, but the calamity would fall onto Sudan and Egypt. So, how did Egypt and Sudan bless the construction of the dam despite all this intense gravity?! And how the two countries have turned a blind eye on the information that confirms that the fingerprints of the Jewish entity in the Renaissance Dam are countless?! The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Britain has even “warned that Israel is involved in the construction of the dam, and the main contracting company, the Italian Salini, is fully aware of the participation of Israel. And contributing to the building is also the French company Alstom, which is involved in settlement activity in Jerusalem. The organization had contacted the Embassy of Ethiopia for the purchase of bonds to finance the dam, and found out that it is only available in Israel because it is the main partner!”

The Khilafah Rashidah State on the method of the Prophethood, that Hizb ut Tahrir seeks to establish, is alone that will cut off malicious hands that meddle in the headwaters of the Nile to harm us. It will put these headwaters in trusted hands which will organize the stream of water for the good of all countries from upstream to downstream, so that all the citizens will be drinking and cultivating from it; regardless of their religion and faith. And this great river will bestow favors upon everyone, since it carries enough water for all its countries to become green gardens, if its water is utilized properly. So that good spreads to everyone, this is the good of Islam! And this is the good of the Khilafah Rashidah on the method of the Prophethood; so for this good we invite you O Muslims!

هَٰذَا بَيَانٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةٌ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

“This is a clear explanation for all mankind, and guidance and admonition for those who have taqwa.”

(Al-i-Imran: 138)

Sharif Zayed

Head of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Egypt

Tuesday, 4th Jumada II 1436 AH

24/03/2015 CE

No: PR 08/15