The story behind is this. The colonialists (the British) had their deep interest and in those days were venturing on textiles and fresh agricultural produce. Since almost all the Nile basin countries were colonized by the British (Ethiopia was an exception as it was never colonized) they had to use their colonial power to sign on behalf of those countries for an exclusive use of the Nile by Egypt and Sudan for their cotton, vegetables, fruits and other produce. Egypt, (eventually the colonial power then which is the British) was given a Veto power. Mind you it wasn’t Egypt given the veto power but the colonialists themselves giving a veto power for themselves because they were the once signing or influencing for the signing of the so called “colonial agreement”.

For generations Egypt knows well that they couldn’t stop Ethiopia from building the dam as the so called “colonial agreement” doesn’t bind Ethiopia but they had a big influence and a stupid attitude in influencing major financing institutions including the IMF and World Bank. By all means they ensured that Ethiopia remained poor and immersed in war even supporting countries that would destabilize Ethiopia. Ethiopia has seen various famines unable to feed it’s people while Egypt as its population play with the water of the Nile, pouring the Nile waters into the desert for rubbish projects and even watering the desert with the remaining water flowing the the Mediterranean sea. I believe the famine, drought, instability, fights and wars in Ethiopia were a very good news in Egypt and Sudan.

The time has now come for Ethiopia to build big projects as it is now economically more stronger before and is one of the most stable countries in Africa. Even with that Ethiopia is not claiming all the 86% of the Nile water share that is flowing out from its territory but calling for fair use. Ethiopia is not seeking Egypt’s and Sudan’s damnation and doom but still calling for fairness. For God’s sake can Egypt and Sudan stop this stupidity and insanity? Those two countries should come to their senses and think of fairness. That’s the only way out and not acting a “supper power” and “master” of other countries. The fact is that so many Egyptians don’t even know the origins of the river Nile, some think it comes from within Egypt and so many Egyptian politicians use the Nile issue to cover-up so many other issues and play their political game. They better get ready to sit down, talk, be constructive and fairly negotiate.

For Egypt and Sudan to have a veto over this natural resource has always been a problem to the people of Ethiopia and it is greatly responsible for the situation the people in Ethiopia find themselves today, deep poverty and a country whose name is synonymous with drought, famine and hunger.

Hence it stands to sane reason that Ethiopia make effort as much as possible to remove this barrier and open for a fair utilization of this natural resource without denying others the right to use it in a reasonable way. There should not be any imposition by any country saying that ‘Since we are already using whatever billion cubic meters to water our farms and golf fields in our cities, you can only use whatever is remaining’.

Time has come for real negotiation and real agreements that can hold water for Ethiopia and other upper riparian countries so that they can start base projects upon which their future developments can be founded. I hope to see a positive result from the discussions between the current Egyptian government and Ethiopia on this matter.