Open The Mosques and Churches ASAP

Egypt is facing one hell of a winter indeed , the coldest since decades thanks to Alexa storm and as a nation with no rain drainages anymore and no real social services to look after the people in these extreme weather circumstances.

News circulating that at least two homeless people were killed in the past 48 hours in Cairo and no one can stop thinking about the homeless in these times or the people in shanty times.

There have been suggestions and pleas to the government online to open the mosques and churches especially mosques that are closed after Al Isha prayer to provide a warm shelter to homeless people. Same thing to the Youth centers closed with no activities now.

I really hope the government for once thinks in a human way and opens the mosques and churches as a shelter to the homeless people especially the street children.

There have been also online campaigns and suggestions to encourage people to buy blankets from downtown Cairo in order to give them away to any homeless they meet in the street. It is great idea.

I believe these online campaigns encourage TV show to launch campaigns like Warm Cairo of Amr Adeeb’s show to donate in specific bank accounts in order to buy blankets for the poor.

As you can see it is the people who are acting now the government as usual. Of course I can not ignore the fact that our streets are drowning in rain water thanks to the fact that we do have not rain drainage anymore. My grandma used to tell me that there were rain drainages systems in major cities in Egypt till early 1960s !!

I think the government should think from now to include in its plan some drainage system in the streets. Whom I am kidding !! Of course the government does not think about this trivial matter !! May be if we had had true representative elected local councils , this matter would have been solved from long time !!

You know how it is a failed stated , by judging on  how it is dealing with circumstances like this and whether it could deal with them whether in the future or even the present.

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And It snowed in Egypt

And it snowed in Egypt for the first time since decades and here we are not speaking about hail or snow in Sinai or Saint Catherine Mount. No we are speaking about snow in Cairo outskirts.

It is freezing right now. Almost raining from time to time. Alexa is not fooling around. It is extremely cold. The storms in Alexandria led the authorities to close the ports. It is extremely cold and one can imagine how the poor in shanty towns and street children. Sports centers and mosques as well churches should be opened for those but whom shall we address !??

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#Hala’ib Triangle in Photos : Camels Market in #Shalateen

Here is the third part of the Hala’ib triangle in photos series. After the amazing photos of Shalateen port and the village of Abraq in Shalateen , this time it is about the famous Camels market in the city of Shalateen.
The Camels market is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. It is the biggest market for camels in Egypt. The camels come from Sudan in a long trip led by their herders. Their temporary stop is at that market in Shalateen waiting to be sold to the camel merchants that come from all over the country in a long trip.
Now this time the photo slide show is a mix of photos by photographer Yasser El Rasoul and famous Photo journalist/dear friend Hossam el-Hamalawy.

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Links and Notes 11/09/2013

• When You Kill Ten Million Africans You Aren’t Called ‘Hitler’ | Diary of a Walking Butterfly

  About the not so much heard genocide committed by Leopold II in Congo

  tags: #DWC #LN genocide racism Europe Africa Congo Belgium

• Russell Brand: we deserve more from our democratic system | Russell Brand | Comment is free | The Guardian

  Russell Brand caused controversy last week with interview on BBC about elections and democracy. He is explaining his views more.

  tags: #DWC #LN democracy change Russell Brand UK Elections

• Michael Haag: The Struggle to Preserve Egypt's Heritage

  It is not only a struggle in fact it is like war that we are losing day after day.

  tags: #DWC #LN Egypt heritage history Cairo Alexandria

• Mansour revives plan for nuclear power plant on Egyptian coast - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

  The history of Egypt's ill fated Nuclear power plant in Dabaa , North Coast

  tags: #DWC #LN plant power Egypt Energy Nuclear Nuke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

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Solar Eclipse in #Egypt

Here is a slide show for the Solar Eclipse in Egypt by photographers and citizen journalists as well mostly in Cairo and Giza. They are beautiful.

Unfortunately I forgot to bring the battery of the camera with me but I took a snapshot after the eclipse with my mobile phone , it is more of romantic scene !! You will find my shot in the slide show. 

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#Hala’ib Triangle in Photos : Shalateen Port by Yasser El Rasoul

As expected after raising the disputed Hala’ib triangle in the Egyptian media thanks to El Bashir’s officials statements earlier this year , it is no longer on radar and the neglected disputed rich-in much need of development is back to the abyss of oblivion. 

Well I did not forget this area and today I share with you those photos from there giving you a glimpse of the neglected triangle there. The photos are taken by photographer Yasser El Rasoul in 2012. I gathered the photos from his Facebook Page in to storify Slideshows to be published in a series through out this week here in the Egyptian Chronicles.

I will start the series with photos from Shalateen Port in the city of Shalateen.

Here is Shalateen port on the map.

 

Only last September 2013 the minister of transportation in the interim government agreed to found an international marine port in Shalateen.

Yasser El Rasoul took over 100 photos from different areas in the triangle. Of course I must hint out that he is one of the best photographers in Egypt to use HDR in nature photos. These photos should not be only published on Facebook but rather in some Egyptian National Geographic if we are speaking seriously.

They are amazing photos and honestly I will use them in order to make you back here and read more about that part of Egypt.

You can go to Shalateen easily.According to my friends who went there , there are two humble hotels there.

Insh Allah One day I visit this place with my little camera and document life there in Egyptian Chronicles. It is on my bucket list. Hopefully soon insh Allah I will make it.

This series is dedicated to late Mindy Bahaa El Din.Her birthday is today. 

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Links and Notes 10/28/2013

• 22 Epic Places You Didn't Know Existed

  All those places are on my bucket list , I wish to visit them before I die with my camera and my beloved ones too.

  tags: #DWC #LN Photos World Earth

• ''القلل القناوي'' تراث يتمسك بالبقاء | بوابة المندرة من صعيد مصر

  Al Mandara, Upper Egypt's citizen journalism portal has a very nice small feature about thet beautiful tradition pottery industry in Qena

  tags: #DWC #LN Egypt Upper Egypt Folklore Pottery Qena

• Aung San Suu Kyi: falling from grace | World News Blog | World News Blog

  Once a hero of freedoms , Aung San Suu Kyi proves to be another radical nationalist if I dare to say. Ironically and sadly I am not that shocked anymore because we have lots San Su Kyis in Egypt nowadays. Amazingly the Muslim and Arab world have forgotten the Rohingya Muslims suffering. Still the foreign western human rights organizations and media have not.

  tags: world Burma #DWC #LN

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

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The Sad end for the #SpyStork

I do not know if it is fate or what, but it seems that the story of Menes in the land of the Nile is extremely sad story.
After it was accused of espionage and spent a day in Egyptian detention , he was released in to a protectorate to fly free only to meet its end !! He was hunted down and eaten by an Egyptian Nubian family in the south !!!

It is a sad true story stranger than fiction , the story of the Spy stork in the land of the Nile.
RIP Dear Menes.

Late Menes

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#Sinai : Save the #Dahab Coral Reef

This is a must watch video report by Ahram Online's Mayada Wadnomiry about the efforts of Egyptian divers in Egypt to save the coral reef in the red sea starting with Dahab. Despite it is a short clip yet it is very informative.The video is in English.

I fully support the suggestion to stop diving for one month in each diving location.
Here is the Facebook page of the iDive Tribe.
I believe we need to make noise about the initiative.
By the way,those small initiatives and those small groups trying to make a change on the ground even if it is a small change give me huge promise in that depressing time in Egypt. Big things always have small beginnings.
I know that some will say that it is not the prefect time when we got a war on terrorism in Sinai , well I will say when we will have the prefect time to save our environment then !! There is always time

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The Stork is Free !! Our #Spybird

Ok this is a follow up for the Spy Stork story. It turned out that the Hungarian Stork is called Menes and it has become the most famous stork in the history of modern Egypt. After all how many storks are detained for espionage and how many storks got visits from animal rights groups in detention while detained humans are denied from this right !!??
Menes is released and is moved Salugah & Ghazal Protected Area, near Aswan.
Here is the free bird.

:)

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Free Stork Now !! It is not a #Spy duck !!

Of course this news made headlines around the globe  yesterday : Egyptian authorities in Qena governorate arrest a duck with a spying device !! 
Updated : The stork is going to be released tomorrow and it will return back to its home in Hungary.  
 Well it turns out that it is not a duck but rather a stork and it is not a spying device but rather a satellite tracking device. The poor stork is still in the custody of Egyptian authorities.

The sad , beautiful and detained stork

That bird , that stork got a profile online by the way and here is its track as well.
The Nature Conservation Egypt issued an important statement  about that spy stork in Arabic and English. Please spread it. 

Post by Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE).

I am afraid ignorance made us the joke of the word as usual and as expected. Unfortunately, the ministry of education as the ministries of agriculture and environmental affairs in Egypt have not explained to the people what the annual bird migration is or how Egypt is a hot zone for birds’ migration or even how researchers and universities from around the globe put tracking devices on the birds to follow them.

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#Sudan launches its #Nafeer But will anyone hear its call ?? "Updated"

Sudan is literality drowning. The floods and heavy rain hit East of Sudan drowning thousands of houses and cutting off villages from outside the world.
The damage reached to areas inside Khartoum like Ombada and Omdurman as well several areas in East Nile region. 
The official death toll announced by Sudanese are 36 dead , 60 villages and not less 10,000 houses have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of citizens are displaced. The Sudanese activists believe that the death toll can be more. I believe it is more already especially with the media blackout in the country thanks to El Bashir’s regime.
This is the worst wave of floods and heavy rains Sudan has witnessed from five years ago. There are more heavy rains expected this week too.
Here is a photo gallery with photos from Sudan showing the crisis they got. The aerial shots can show the size of the disaster they are facing now. 

Here is a video for a Sudanese lady from Ombada region in Khartoum recounting how she lost her two daughters in the floods.

Ombada : A lady lost two daughters in flood

Here is another short video earlier shot this month by mobile phone camera showing the floods in an area called El Marabee in Khartoum. 

 

The activists and social media users in Sudan launched online campaign to help the people there called “Nafeer” which means “Call” or “Mobilization” in Arabic. If it were not for this campaign , we would not know about what happen in Sudan.
Here is the English Facebook Page of the Campaign as well its Arabic Facebook Page, they are asking for help and I hope the world helps them because their government does not really care.Nafeer has already attracted not less than 1400 volunteers to joined it.
Here is a photo gallery showing a glimpse of how things are in Sudan.
On the other hand,the Sudanese president and government as well officials care less for the disaster. They are congratulating each other on the occasion of Eid ignoring the agony of the citizens who are having a very bad Eid. Yesterday I read that the officials in the country blamed the people for having poor houses !!
Here is a video testimony from one of the locals living in the East Nile in Arabic unfortunately.

Testimony from East Nile area

There is a crisis indeed in Sudan yet Sudanese regime refuses to recognize it as a crisis in order to receive help.
Activist and blogger Usamah Mohamed asked the UN office in Khartoum on twitter why the UN does not help the Sudanese people and the answer came that the Sudanese government should ask the help of the UN officially.

@simsimt, UN hasn't asked for the situation to be declared as crisis. UN does need to be formally asked by Gov't to help respond to floods
— UNIC Khartoum (@UN_Sudan) August 11, 2013

I believe that Egypt should help Sudan and it is not about money but rather aid whether medical aid or relief efforts. This is the least we can do to amend our relations the Sudanese regardless of their government.

Updated :

Egypt is offering aid to Sudan now.The minister of irrigation in Egypt gave his orders to the ministry to send immediate aid to Sudan on Monday.

Nafeer’s activists need help and they are not asking for money as much as supplies from equipment, medical supplies , clothes. Here are the campaign’s numbers in several countries. Click to zoom in

Click to zoom in

For those interested in helping the Sudanese in Egypt , you can contact Ms. Shimaa on twitter. Ms. Shimaa is the coordinator of Nafeer in Egypt. 

Update #2 : 

 The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs issued a press statement today about floods in Sudan estimating the number of Sudanese affected by the floods by 150,000

Here is an initial estimation based on areas.

•  Khartoum : 84,000 Citizens
• River Nile : 16,000 Citizens 
• West Kurdfan : 12,000 Citizens
• El Gazira : 10,000 Citizens
• North Darfur : 8,000 Citizens 
• Blue Nile : 6,000 Citizens 
• Red Sea : 4,000 Citizens 
• South Darfur : 1,000 Citizen.

This is an initial report , I repeat it again just an initial report.

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Cairo University’s report on Ethiopia's Great Renaissance Dam

The Cairo University professors and experts in the faculties of engineering and agriculture have formed a group called “Group of Nile Basin” {GNB} and this group prepared extremely important report about the Ethiopia’s great Renaissance Dam.
The report was published in Arabic on Facebook by Dr. Nader Noor El Din , a member of the GNB and it was republished once again by famous Kolena Khaled Said Page.
Thanks to Mr. Ashraf El Shehat  , this report has been translated to English. Without his help I do not know what I could have done.  This report represents the Egyptian objections based on science not based on politics or any other thing.

Group of Nile Basin (GNB) at Cairo University to Support Egypt

Introduction

A series of external challenges have suddenly appeared on the surface forming major threats to securing the water supply to Egypt.  The sources of these threats are the new plans by the Ethiopian Government to construct four dams on the Blue Nile (Figure 1). 

However, the major threat was the sudden unilateral announcement of the Ethiopian Government to divert the course of the Blue Nile marking the actual start of construction of the Great Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) without consultation with the downstream countries; Egypt and Sudan.  This act in the eyes of the majority of Egyptians amounts to a flagrant assault on all the basic fundamental laws and the international norms.
Figure 1- Plan of construction four new dams in Ethiopia endangers the only water supply to Egypt.
Considering the major threat to the people of Egypt, a group of professors from the Department of Irrigation and Hydraulics, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University formed a group titled “The Group of the Nile Basin” (GNB).  The purpose of the group is to support the effort of Government and the decision makers facing these serious escalating water threats.  The scope of GNB shall include analytical studies of the Ethiopian Dams, prepare and implement numerical water models to study the side effects of these dams and collecting all recent scientific studies in this field.

The GNB Activities

The members of the GNB include – among others - four Professors who were involved and still directly involved in the review studies of the Ethiopian Dams and assessing their effects in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MERI) since the year 2010.  The GNB shall be also working closely with both the National and International Committees involved in studying the consequences of the construction of GERD.
On 16th April 2013, the GNB has conducted two workshops at Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University about the technical, political and legal consequences of constructing the GERD.  The attendees included numerous University Professors and Experts in different fields of specializations.  Representatives of MERI, some Political Parties, management of Engineering Syndicate in addition to numerous media channels.  The purpose of the workshops was to spread the awareness among the people and the Government bodies about the challenges and threats facing the country.
The last few days have witnessed a series of escalating and accelerating steps adding to the tensions including the unilateral decision of Ethiopia to divert the Blue Nile, and the subsequent objections of some of the Egyptian Politicians during an aired meeting with the President.  On 13th of June 2013, the Ethiopian Parliament ratified the Nile River Cooperative Framework Agreement opposed by Egypt which ends the veto granted to both Egypt and Sudan on all projects constructed by the upstream countries of the Nile Basin.

Major Comments from the Trio Committee

An international committee – called the Trio Committee – was formed based on the proposal of the Ex. Ethiopian Prime Minister M. Zenawei about two years ago to reduce the tension.  The committee concluded its work that took around a year and half and issued its report on the review of the studies presented by the Ethiopian Government.  The trio committee consisted of 10 members; 2 from each of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and four international experts approved by the three countries.  The committee has recently concluded its review and issued its report with the following conclusions:

1. There are no sufficient structural studies.


2. There is a lack in the hydrological investigations.


3. There are no environmental impact assessments on the two downstream countries; Egypt and Sudan.

In addition, the Ethiopian Government failed to submit advanced studies reflecting the details and reliability analysis to meet the minimum requirements of the international standards for similar size of dams.  Such lack in information and the weakness of the studies formed an obstacle in enabling the Trio Committee to assess the structural safety of the dam and the negative impacts on both Egypt and Sudan.
 

Areas of Concern to be considered by the Egyptian Government

The GNB draws the attention of the members of the Egyptian Government to the consequences of the Ethiopian Dams which constitute a series of tough social, economical and political nature that are hard to be controlled or to tolerate.  Some of these consequences are:

1. The plan for the 4 dams on the Blue Nile aims at total control of the water in the Blue Nile which is the main supplier to the Nile.  As such, this plan shall subsequently include total control of the share of Egypt’s share of the water in the Nile and the possible redundancy or at least dwarfing the role of the High Dam in securing the future supply of water to Egypt.


2. The current design capacity of GERD of 74 Billion cubic meter will have harsh negative impact on the share of the water reaching to Egypt and also on the production of electricity from the High Dam and the Aswan Dam during the filling period of the lake of GERD and during its operation.  This negative impact shall escalate during the drought period wherein the water supplies to both Egypt and Sudan shall conflict with the water needed to produce the electricity from the GERD.
   


3. Reduction in the water share of Egypt will result in abandoning huge areas of agricultural lands and scattering millions of families.  It would also result in increasing the pollution of the water streams and creating problems in the supply of water for drinking and industry.  There will also be problems in river transportation, Nile tourism and threats to the fish farms.
   


4. Collapse of GERD will result in catastrophic effects in both Sudan and Egypt.  This includes failures of dams, drowning of major towns and villages and exposing millions to the dangers of death and relocation.

Target of Negotiation: Mitigate the Damage

Basically, it should be understood that negotiation with Ethiopia has been drastically delayed.  The ideal target for the negotiation from Egypt’s point of view would be to prevent constructing the dam.  However, this is no longer a valid option considering the current circumstances.  Ethiopia has managed to place the dam as a fact and no longer a theory.  As such, the purpose of the negotiation at this stage would be aiming at mitigating the damages.  
Considering the above, the following are the suggestions:

1. Request stopping the construction at once until completing the negotiation and assess the effects through scientific means and agree on them.  We need to highlight here that there are other alternatives that can be studied to fulfill similar advantages to Ethiopia without causing major damages to the downstream countries.
   


2. The minimum requirement for the Egyptian Government should be the maximum size of the Dam not to exceed 14 billion cubic meter as per the proposal prior to the January 2011 Revolution.  This capacity would enable producing 60% of the proposed electricity from GERD and with efficiency exceeding double the efficiency of the huge GERD and with much less cost and much less negative impacts that can be lived with.  In addition, the proposed design of 14 cubic meters would fulfill most of the advantages of Sudan from GERD and as such, unifies the points of views of both Egypt and Sudan.
   


3. Ethiopia to commit officially not to use the water behind the GERD for the agricultural purposes as previously announced.
   


4. Ethiopia to commit for the advance notice for any future projects including their executing procedure in light of the Framework Agreement of the United Nations of 1977 for the common rivers.
   


5. The design of the GERD to be reviewed thoroughly by Egyptian Experts after amending the technical dimensions to ensure its structural safety.

The GNB further urges all non-specialized personnel to avoid getting into issuing irresponsible statements that justify the illusionary benefits of the GERD, issuing statements with no real value, or statements that may underestimate the serious side effects using unfounded methods.  All the positive and negative impacts are actually a result of intensive, thorough and specialized engineering investigations.  Some of these investigations have been carried out be the members of GNB and some are still being conducted.  The results at this stage agree broadly with the international studies and to some extent with the Ethiopian studies presented to the International Trio Committee, even though the latter are incomplete.
Main Focus: Downsizing
We would like to warn the Government not to limit the scope of negotiation to secondary issues and ignore the major problem; the size of the dam.  The people in Egypt should be aware that focusing the negotiation on the number of years to fill the lake of the dam or the operation policy of the dam including participating with the operation of the dam are of no prime importance.  The major threat is the result of the magnified size of the dam.  Without reducing the dimensions of the dam itself, the major negative impacts as indicated above are unavoidable.
It is not a secret that throughout the history, Egypt has never been an obstacle preventing the development in the African Nations in general and the countries of the Nile Basin in particular.  Egypt has always been supporting the projects of common benefits to the people of the Nile Basin including building Owen Dam for the benefit of both Uganda and Kenya, has shown no objection for building Tecjizy Dam and Tana Plus Tunnel in Ethiopia, and also has not objected the building of Marwe Dam or increasing the height of Roserus Dam in Sudan.  All of these projects and others help to improve the revenue of the brothers and sisters of the African Nations.  Egypt has always maintained and is willing to keep the Nile as a uniting force for the people of the nations and not a source of disperse or dispute.  Egypt is willing to maintain the Nile basin to remain an oasis for peace  and not a battlefield.

Members of the GNB

1. Mohamed N. E. Allam – Ex. Minister of Water Resources & Irrigation
   


2. Mohamed S Bazarah – Prof. of Irrigation and Drainage
   


3. Alaa Al-Zawahry – Prof. of Hydraulic and expert of dams and member of the National Committee of GERD.
   


4. Mohamed S. El-Manadily – Prof. of Hydraulics – Chairman of Department of Irrigation and Hydraulics, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.
   


5. Nader Nour Eddin – Prof. of Water Supplies and Lands, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University
   


6. Ahmad E. Hasan – Prof. of Hydrology, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.
   


7. Khaled H Hamid, Prof. of Wter Supplies, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University – Member of the Trio Committee
   


8. Ashraf M Ghanim, Prof. of Hydraulics, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.
   


9. Mostafa A Gheith, Pro.f of Irrigation & Drainage, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.
   


10. Mohamed H Algamal, Prof. of Hydraulics, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.
    


11. Hesham B Mohamed, Prof. of Water Supplies, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.  Member of the National Committee to study GERD.
    


12. Mohame E Abol Hagag, Prof. of Hydraulics, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.

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A Reader’s Reply From #Egypt to Open Letter From #Ethiopia

I got this short reply from dear friend Dr. Ahmed Abdel Kawi to the open letter Egyptian Chronicles got from Ethiopia and published on this blog. Abdel Kawi’s reply is short and is addressing specific points.

Dear Sir

Thank you for your letter. Regarding first myth:please calculate total annual water income of Ethiopia and the annual income of Egypt,you will find that water input to your country is much than Egypt.Please don't describe situation as if Egypt is depriving Ethiopia from water. Regarding second myth,let's leave it to the law experts to solve,we are taking actions aiming to solve such issue. Regarding third myth,we are afraid that after building the dam,some one may destroy it,the water flowing will reach Egypt within a month and destroy our dam,thus ending in flooding Egypt. Finally dear sir we hope to negotiate with your people for best interest of our countries.

I have also to comment and say that if we want to reach to Win-Win situation then we have to forget our nationalist chauvinism. Also if we want to act in a mature way , we have to listen to the experts and their decisions as a start for true negotiations.

We do not have problem with dams on the Nile contrary to what is being portrayed in the Ethiopian media , in fact we agreed and helped African countries like Sudan in previous projects. Our objection on the renaissance dam or to be accurate its current specifications from water capacity as well the material used in its construction. Dr. Ahmed spoke about those two points.
Our objections are not related to our Egyptian dignity heavens forbid but rather are based upon the trilateral International commission to study the effects of the dam’s report. This commission included experts and scientists from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan as well foreign independent experts. I do not ask much when I urge the Ethiopians to check this report and to see our true objections.

The commission said that Ethiopian government did not cooperate as it should disclosing some of the important reports needed. We need those reports in order to make sure that the dam will harm us because according to the data we have got from the Ethiopian government itself it will harm Egypt.

Only yesterday the PM of Egypt admitted the fact that from 5 years we are suffering from Water poverty.

Just look to our map and you will release that Nile is truly our life source. We know very well that we do not own the Nile and we know that for the past 30 years we did not treat our African neighbors in the South as we should or as we used to during the 1960s.

I still believe in negotiations and reaching win-win situation , this is the only way.

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Readers’ Chronicles : An Open Letter to Egyptians From #Ethiopia

I do not think that I have done this before. This is an email I got from Ethiopia , from MR. Yared H.Meskel. 
I did not edit a single letter in the email. I am not going to comment about the open letter in the blog post , civilized discussions are extremely welcomed in comments section  
MR. Meskel is columnist and managing director in a technology and investment advisory consulting company in East Africa and UK.Dear Egyptians,
I think you politicians have been feeding false propaganda and the politicians have lived to believe their own propaganda. This propaganda has created three major myths in Egyptians mine.
One is Egypt own the Nile, second there was an international treaty, third, Ethiopia can block the water.
All are myth built up with no facts and lack of understanding basic scientific observations.
Here are the answers to think about.
1st. Egypt does not own the Nile. Nile belongs to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, and off course, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. If Egypt thinks that it is only Egypt can drink from the Nile, and then take a hard look of the reality. You are receiving every day, clean, drinkable free from industrial toxic and fresh water everyday from these countries. If they do not benefit from the water they can send their wastes with it.
It is though fact that this is a shared resource and everyone has to invest and protect it to give fresh water to Egypt. The solution is to come back to the Nile initiative and negotiate to develop this shared resource together without losing your fare share. Ethiopia or Kenya cannot invest on the land and the forests which give to the life of Nile at great cost to become slaves to deliver drinkable water to Egyptians. In fact, Egypt should have been putting at list 2.5 billion USD/ half of the Ethiopian Dam cost, since it will serve as water reservoir for Egypt to design it in such a way that would not reduce the flow of the water.
Please don’t forget that 85% of the Nile water comes from Ethiopia and Ethiopia is not using so far 1% of the water while it's own people perish of starvation and drought  So there is no international or moral law that obliges Ethiopia to die of drought and thirst while Egyptians want to water their desert garden grass and lawn for European tourists or want to export it to Israel to earn cash. But still Ethiopia has no intention to reduce the flow, despite it’s cronic problems.
Abay/ Nile/ is a shared resource and the reality is to take time to understand the Ethiopian position. Sudan fully understand the Dam is beneficial for Sudan and Egypt. Despite internal public criticism Ethiopia has gone extra-mile to prove and reassure Egyptians by inviting and setting a joint expert committee that the hydroelectric dam does not at all affect the water flow. In fact it will increase the water flow in sustainable way, while the water is stored in deep gorge of Ethiopian cold highland by reducing huge evaporation, rather than flush it in to the Mediterranean see between June and October. This is science and I think Egyptians politicians need to pick their high school science books and revise it. A good number of Egyptian politicians appear to have (PhD) after their names and I guess they may have earned their degree in dramatics rhetoric than hard science.
Nile is Ethiopian as well as 9 African countries resource and Ethiopia need the hydropower as Egypt needs the water. The water moves a turbine and flow to Egypt and cannot come back or stored. Only demented politicians oppose building of hydroelectric power. If Ethiopia has intention to reduce the flow the dam would have been built where Irrigation is possible not where electricity could be generated. The fact is as simple as that and Egypt could have stopped it.
2. The second Egyptian myth is believing in non-existent treaty. Ethiopia had never been a British Colony like Egypt and British had no legal jurisdiction to sign any treaty in on behalf of Ethiopians. This is a basic logic. Egypt might have some debt with Kenya and Uganda but not with Ethiopia. Thanks to our forefathers, Ethiopians have fought all colonial forces at great cost and never surrendered to any mighty power. No one had signed on behalf of Ethiopia and no one will. Dying with freedom and dignity has been the ultimate privilege of all Ethiopians, who gave us this country. They died burned by poison gasses, tank shells and areal carpet bombing. Their crops burnt, their 2/3 of their cattle wiped out by biological warfare introduced by Italians and yet Ethiopians chose to die than surrender to anyone. As a result thanks God, we were not part of any treaty. We never signed anything and accepted any treaty. Hence, the fact is 85% of the Nile water had never been claimed by anyone and had never been part of any treaty. This is a fact casted on stones. Let’s the Egyptians politicians stop misinforming the Egyptian people and produce a single paper signed by Ethiopian or anyone who had legal jurisdiction over Ethiopia. Let them produce it and we are happy to honor it. So let’s clear this myth built on false propaganda.
3. The third myth is Ethiopia can stop Nile. If Egyptians politicians could Google, they could easily find enough scientific research data done by Egyptians that it is almost impossible for Ethiopia to stop the Nile flowing, without submerging a quarter of Ethiopia under water and turn themselves in to fish to survive. So it is time to separate ancient Egyptian myth from scientific data.
In fact, if there was an intention on Ethiopian side to reduce the water, there is no need to build a mega dam on the most rugged terrain of Ethiopia, where there is no land for irrigation. This is a gorge suitable for hydroelectric power and nothing else. If Ethiopia had intention to reduce the water it can instruct every village, to have a micro-dam on tributaries and flood plains. The fact that Ethiopia is building this huge dame close to the Sudan boarder means it is in its own interest to recharge the dam continuously to keep the power turbines moving. This is in fact a God given insurance for Egypt that the water will continue to flow to Egypt for eternity. If this dam is not built, then micro-dams are the alternative that would open the opportunity for utilization of water for other purposes too. So Egyptians politicians need to open their mind to see plan B, rather than getting carried away with myth creation and misinformation of the people.
So, please get tell your politicians to stop empty threat and bravado which is designed for internal consumption rather than dealing the real Egyptian real issue and the need for collaboration with Nile basin countries. Nile belongs to all of us, and it is enough for all of us. It is time for Egyptian politicians to come to the table and talk to the Africans who are delivering your drinking water everyday endlessly. Ethiopians, Kenyans, Ugandans, South Sudanese, Bruindies, etc. are united and the solution is not bullying but negotiation to have a win-win situation. That is upper countries use the water for power generation while Egypt continue to enjoy a free supply of clean, drinkable and life giving water from countries like Ethiopia and Kenya.
That is a win situation and the rest is more of a fantasy based on false assumption and myths. Egypt is not a superpower or a colonial master over Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda or South Sudan. A little bit of respect towards Africans is overdue.
In the last 20 years, there were more Egyptian investment in Ethiopia and we all thought that the old Egyptians politics is beginning to change to create some brotherhood with the African nations, but what we see from Egyptian politicians is old habits never die. Mubarak is may gone, but not his ideology.
Ethiopia has opened it door and files to Egyptians experts to examine every data that the dam does not affect the water flow. The good thing is the conclusion of these experts is clear that the dam has no impact on the flow of water. But Ethiopians gesture of brotherhood to take it’s file and plan for inspection has been taken for weakness by Egyptian politicians. Now if that is the perception then Ethiopia need to close it’s door and focus on its own plan till the Egyptian politicians learn to behave in civilized way and prepare to work with mutual respect and brotherhood.
Cooperation and win-win solution benefit all, and Egypt would be left out if its politicians believes their own myth and refuse to cooperate for our collective benefits.

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The Trilateral Commission Report's Summary is Here

The Egyptian presidency published a summary of the trilateral commission report about the Ethiopian dam aka Renaissance.
It is in Arabic and you can read it after the break. Here I will summarize the important points.

• Ethiopia did not present all the detailed and extensive studies about the Renaissance dam especially about its negative environmental and social impact on the downstream countries. They are not sufficient
• The Ethiopian government did not present extensive studies about a very alarming scenario : The collapse of the dam. It is a study that has to be presented.
• In flood season this dam will make it hard for the High Dam to generate electricity While in drought season will reduce our water share especially in irrigation.

The original report got an index of more than 600 pages and it is full of technical details. It is not that good according to the experts. The Trilateral commission is made of experts from UK, France and German and 3 delegations representing Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

ملخص تقرير أعمال اللجنة الدولية للخبراء المعنية بدراسة وتقييم سد أثيوبيا by Egyptian Presidency

Amazingly this report is totally contradicting what the ministry of foreign affairs in Ethiopia claimed on Sunday. Yesterday the MOFA in Ethiopia claimed that the Trilateral commission supports the dam and that the dam has not got any negative impact on Egypt or Sudan.
According to international laws expert Egypt has a legal right to reject the construction of the dam as long as Ethiopia does not present the required studies. 

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Fishing in Ras Mohamed caught on Camera

This shocking video clip was filmed last 30 May 2013 in Ras Mohamed area in Sinai. Nearly 20 fishing boats were fishing in the restricted area. The clip is filmed by Denis Zorzin

Fishing boats in

Where are our coast guards ?? 20 fishing boats are more of organized operation. I can not believe that no official could not see them.
In May 2011 the South Sinai governor then issued a decision to allow fishing there but had to cancel the decision due to the huge opposition. I do not know if the decision is back or not but we should scream to remind the world that there is no fishing in Ras Mohamed.

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#Nile Crisis : Dear Egyptians We Are in Deep Water !!

It seems that we are in deep water when it comes to the Nile crisis , we are in this alone. We counted on Sudan but it seems that surprisingly the Islamist Pro-MB regime in Khartoum is playing for its own gains.

Together for the Nile Valley Renaissance

After officially denying that Sudan will head to the Arab league seeking help against Ethiopia , the Official Spokesperson of the Sudanese government , the minister of culture Ahmed Belal Othman stated that Sudan supported the dam. Othman also added of course the whole thing depends on coordination between the three countries.
Now I do not understand the Sudanese government position considering their so-close relations with the Muslim brotherhood after all the International organization of MB held its annual meeting in Khartoum last year.
Turkish news agency Andolu says that Sudanese experts say that the relations with Addis Abba were better than Cairo and that Khartoum may use the water card with Egypt in order to claim Hala’ib triangle. In other words the unnamed experts say that Khartoum may or is actually blackmailing Egypt.
Amazingly Sudan will be harmed from that dam badly and according to experts if this dam collapses while it is being operated in its full capacity many parts of  Sudan will be drowned.
The trilateral commission report has not been issued , it is delayed. It should have been issued  yesterday but it is delayed. According to Ahram Newspaper the report is delayed because Ethiopia is pressing to omit "any part condemning or harming the current Ethiopian policies". In other words the Ethiopian government does not want anything negative about the dam.
Already there have been leaks about the report say the Ethiopian government did not cooperate as it should hiding information about the dam.
Officially despite the military choice talk was brought up in the Egyptian mainstream and social media, the Egyptian Presidency says it clearly that the military choice is not option. I believe that it is not option but the Egyptian Presidency and government have not told us the other options available.
What I see clearly now that our southern neighbors are taking advantage of political woes. It is not the first time this happen in our long history. Also I see clearly Morsi's administration seems to be lost , I do not know if the Muslim brotherhood believes that Ethiopia is part of their future MB caliphate like Sudan so the dam issue is not a big deal or what. 
We are paying the price of Mubarak’s bad policies in that critical file yet it seems that Morsi and his MB administration are not even willing to try to stop us from paying that price. Anyhow Morsi will pay even more as his support in the street at least in Cairo in the past 72 hours thanks to the Nile Crisis. In shops and taxis people are mad at him and how the Ethiopians are belittling him and belittling Egypt to the level of diverting the Nile course without Egypt’s approval.
I do not understand why the ministry of foreign affairs or even the Egyptian Presidency summoned the Italian and Chinese ambassadors to have talks with them and express Egypt’s official rejection. Of course I am totally against using the Suez canal against them like what Hamdeen Sabbahi suggested but I am with the idea of using our cards with them. We are not a small or weak or insignificant country.
I think we should learn from the past and God we have a very long full of lessons history. We can learn from Suez crisis on how we can have a diplomatic confrontation without losing the world’s support.
We should learn from the Pre-1967 six days war defeat lesson and start to amend our relations with other Arab countries like Gulf states in order to find a support and coordination.

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#Nile Crisis in #Cairo Thanks to Renaissance Dam

The Nile in Aswan

Whether the Muslim brotherhood likes it or not , the current Nile crisis with Ethiopia is the biggest challenge facing President Mohamed Morsi, the biggest for real. This is the Nile Challenge.
It is now his true capabilities as a President are being tested. This is not Gaza where Hamas, the MB branch in Palestine is , this is Egypt’s national security and future we are speaking about.
For those who do not know what I am speaking , today in a provoking move the Ethiopian government diverted the course of the Blue Nile preparing for a new stage in building the Grand renaissance Dam.It is provoking because the diversion of the Blue Nile was supposed to take place after the trilateral commission’s report in September 2013.
The trilateral commission is made of experts from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia as well foreign experts who are studying the effects of the dam on the downstream countries “Egypt and Sudan. The commission’s report was already going to be issued by the end of this month. The last meeting in Cairo , this month. Update : On Wednesday the report will be issued and the Egyptian presidency will declare its position accordingly. Leaks in the report say that Ethiopia did not fully cooperate with the commission and withheld information about the dam.
According to this report we will know if the dam is truly a threat to Egypt and Sudan. If it is a threat , there will be supposedly negotiations and so. After all this is an international river.
The diversion of the Blue Nile was supposed to take place in September 2013 if the dam  gets an ok after the Nile flood.
I believe Ethiopia did this move to twist Egypt’s arm like we say in Arabic , to make us face the reality seizing the opportunity of Egypt’s internal woes and weaknesses as well. I can not blame them , I will blame the current Egyptian administration starting with the President , his aides, his advisers , the intelligence and the ministry of foreign affairs.

The high dam in Aswan

The Mubarak administration as well Omar Suleiman had gone with the wind , they are from the past now. All those months some had to pay attentions to our Upstream neighbors especially Ethiopia. Yes Morsi was the first President to visit Ethiopia but as I see that there is no big impact for his visit now.
China is sponsoring this dam and yet this was not raised in the Egyptian Chinese talks during President Morsi’s visit !! The Turks and Iranians got investments in Ethiopia , we can use them. For God sake Mubarak used the Arab Gulf relations in his fight with Ethiopia over the dams.
I do not need to tell you that many Egyptians believe that the military choice is the best one but I am afraid that the military choice is not an option whether from diplomatic view or technical view. Diplomatically you will start a war in hard times. Yes technically we can not afford air strikes to go to the heart of Ethiopia except with the help of neighbors and I do not think that neighbor countries will be welcoming to join us in war !!
I think EGYPT can pull some cards for its once sake but it seems these cards do not appear except for the Muslim brotherhood branches in other countries !! I am sorry to say that. By the way I hope the Muslim brotherhood supporters stop saying “Hey you and other speakers as well the the opposition , what will you do or what are you going to do !?”
I am sorry but I am not the President for God sake. The President and his administration are in trouble. Already the Egyptian ambassador in Ethiopia said that Morsi was informed by the decision to divert the Blue Nile course 12 hours prior his return to Egypt while the Presidency's spokesperson is denying this and belittling the whole matter.
People are praising the Sudanese official reaction from expression rejection and anger as well heading to the Arab League. Of course I wonder what the Arab League will do !!
Of course now all the night talk shows got nothing to speak about it except the Nile crisis and the Renaissance dam.
Now some will say why Egyptians are so angry and do not want this dam to exist at all. Well it has nothing to do with , well I would like to share with you this online study “unfortunately in Arabic” about the dam. This report details the pros and cons of the dam, there are 6 pros fro 9 cons.
I will focus here on the cons :

1. Extreme high cost of building this dam
2. Forest land and irrigated land “extreme rare in Blue Nile” will be dumped and drowned in the dam’s

   

   An illustration for the Renaissance dam

   lake , no other land available for irrigation in nearby area.
3. Mining areas with minerals like Gold and iron as well quarries will be drowned.
4. Nearly 30,000 Ethiopians will be forced to be displaced.
5. The dam’s age is short “between 25-50 years” due to sedimentation that will affect its efficiency.
6. There is high chance that the dam can collapse due to geological factors and the high speed of water current in the Blue Nile , if it collapses  , this may create a tsunami that can drown Sudanese villages and towns.
7. High chances for earthquakes.
8. Egypt and Sudan will lose lots and lots of water share starting from the first year, in fact the first year of operating this dam we will lose huge quantity of water.
9. Political tensions with Egypt and Ethiopia.  

I was planning to write something different tonight ,but important things should not be ignored.
Ironically it comes at the same time the Muslim brotherhood is preparing huge celebration for his first anniversary as a President.

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No Electricity , No Bills

As Egypt began to be hit by a new wave of blackouts for long hours from North to South Egyptians , some Egyptians began to think to object in their own way : They will not pay the electricity bill.
People are leaving messages on their doors and gates that they will not pay the electricity bill.

Tanta : we are not pay the electricity bill 

Why to pay for something they do not get especially in exams season !? 
Hers is a Facebook event page as well a Facebook Page for the campaign
This is a peaceful pressure tool I believe whether you or disagree and yet millions are harmed as a result of having reactive government that did not act as it should since last summer. It is worth to mention that there is increase in the electricity bills.
Since last summer 2012 and the massive blackouts we suffered from in the country as well with the shortage in fuel , there have been warnings that the blackouts will continue in summer 2013 and yet from what I see the government did not do anything to prevent or to stop this new crisis or even prepare for it. I swear to God I know that this crisis goes back to time of Mubarak during the summer but what the new democratically elected president and his government have done regarding this pressing problem for two years !?
I am tired of having reactive governments before and after the revolutions. I am tired of having a government that does not save energy itself , why on earth we find light posts in the daylight working ?? Why can not we have solar light post like solar billboards for God sake !?
Now part of the government responsibility as well the NGOs and the media to be frank in this time is to provide people with alternatives trying to save energy.I am not speaking about Hisham Qandil’s type of advices like all the family members stay one room wearing cotton underwear and one air conditioner is on. I am speaking about energy saving bulbs. I am speaking about instructions for emergencies whether health emergencies or security emergencies.
Again it is not the role of the government only but the society and its NGOs as well.
I am speaking about using solar charges for mobile phones and other devices. I am speaking about encouraging people especially in new communities and rural areas to use solar heaters. I wrote about this before and I will continue to write about it again. By the way I heard that people in areas like October and Sheikh Ziyad began to think about buying solar generators ‘rich class’.  I do not know why the government does not support those people and help them , at least it will lift some of the burden.
Already I can not believe with that amount of sand and sun we have got in Egypt , we do not manufacture solar heaters and solar plates . For God sake we were the first to try solar energy !!
By the way we will face even tougher times with upcoming fuel problem in the summer.

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