http://www.egyptdailynews.com/ AMB D SHIN - http://davidshinn.blogspot.com/ http://www.egyptindependent.com/echannel/113 WASH POST http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypt-frets-fumes-overethiopias-nile-plan/2013/06/12/d3ab3f4a-d1e1-11e2-9577-df9f1c3348f5_story.

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On June 13th, 2013 Ben from EthiopiaFirst interviewed Ambassador David H. Shinn with regards to the current issues on the Renaissance Dam. Amb. David H. Shinn is the former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso and teaches international affairs at George Washington University. He is author of The Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia and China and Africa: A Century of Engagement. EthiopiaFirst: In your latest blog you stated that most of the news reports on the Renaissance Dam were inflammatory and misinformed. Could you please elaborate on that? Dont you think the inflammatory and misinformed statements were propagated by politicians in Cairo? Amb. Shinn: There has been much more reporting on the Nile water and Renaissance Dam issue in Egypt than anywhere else. That fact coupled with the open camera incident of Egyptian politicians speaking their mind on the issue while thinking their remarks were confidential has resulted in most of the inflammatory and misinformed statements. But the international coverage has been complicit by failing to offer adequate background information and accepting at face value misleading statements by persons with a vested interest in the issue. I have seen little coverage of the subject out of Ethiopia. This is partially due to the absence of vibrant Ethiopian private press. Government-controlled media are generally not very good at making convincing arguments on controversial issues where the government has a distinct agenda. EthiopiaFirst: Do you think that the latest rhetoric from President Mohamed Mursi (such as all options are open) was only targeted for domestic consumption? Is there a real threat for this matter to escalate to war? Amb. Shinn: While war cannot be ruled out (who predicted war between Eritrea and Ethiopia in 1998?), I think it is highly unlikely. It would be a disaster for all concerned, including Egypt. Even an air attack on the dam would set back Egypts position in the world for decades. The all options open statement by President Mursi is a pretty common response by political leaders as a way to deal with sensitive domestic issues. Mursi has said there will not be war, although it is not clear what actions Egypt will take from this point forward. EthiopiaFirst: Chairwoman of AUC, Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, stated that the best approach to pass the current impasse is . . . not in the context of the colonial powers but in the context of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance. Do you agree on that?

Amb. Shinn: In theory, I agree but I fear that the emotional level of the Nile water issue removes it from the category of being susceptible to resolution under the umbrella of PanAfricanism and African Renaissance. Unfortunately, there are many other controversial issues in the Horn of Africa where I have come to the same conclusion. EthiopiaFirst: Some in Ethiopia have a concern that the Muslim Brotherhoods Movement in Egypt may use the disgruntled religious fanatics in Ethiopia to promote President Mursis agenda. What is your take on that? Amb. Shinn: While I cant predict what the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt might try to do, I dont see this tactic working. The overwhelming majority of Ethiopian Muslims are, in my view, loyal Ethiopians. Recent concerns expressed by a number of them over alleged government involvement in Muslim religious affairs are unrelated to Egypt and Nile water issues. I just dont see this community serving as a cats paw for Egypts Muslim Brothers. Your question is a reminder, however, that the government needs to take seriously all legitimate grievances of the Muslim community and to work harder to accommodate them. EthiopiaFirst: As a seasoned diplomat, in your perspective how do you evaluate Ethiopias diplomatic reaction so far? Amb. Shinn: My only serious criticism of Ethiopias handling of the Renaissance Dam issue is that it has not been sufficiently transparent. This issue cries out for the sharing of information, not only with Ethiopians but the governments of Egypt, Sudan and the other riparian states. I have heard, but have not been able to verify, that Ethiopias technical diversion of the Blue Nile just after President Mursi departed Ethiopia at the end of May was not discussed with him during his visit. If this account is true, it was unfortunate. The diversion of the Blue Nile is not significant, but it appeared to Egyptians as an affront to their president and has been totally blown out of proportion in Egypt. I hope my information is wrong about keeping President Mursi in the dark on this. Based on my experience in Ethiopia, however, transparency is generally a problem. Ethiopian society holds sensitive issues closely; Ethiopians are reluctant to discuss them openly whether the matter concerns a friend with a serious illness or disagreements over politics. I believe this spills over to the manner in which the Ethiopian government has long treated controversial issues: offer the least amount of information possible both publicly and privately. This is not the time to do that. Get the facts out. Publish the report on the Renaissance Dam by the experts from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Invite small technical teams from Egypt and Sudan to take up residence at the construction site while the dam is being built and let them remain until such time as both Egypt and Sudan are convinced the dam will not harm their interests. EthiopiaFirst: What do you think of Sudans stand on this matter? Amb. Shinn: Fascinating, especially its apparent acceptance of the Renaissance Dam. Sudan recently completed the Merowe Dam on the Nile River. It was not opposed by Egypt. Sudan may have additional plans to make use of Nile water. According to the 1959 treaty that Sudan

signed with Egypt, Sudan is guaranteed 18.5 billion cubic meters of water annually or about onequarter of the flow of the Nile. So long as Sudan stays within this allocation, Egypt has no reason to complain. While Sudan and Egypt have stood firm on opposing the Entebbe Agreement, which has been signed by most of the other riparians, cracks seem to be developing between the respective positions of Sudan and Egypt on Nile water issues. EthiopiaFirst: Is the United States doing anything diplomatically to cool off the current standoff? By the way, what is the US government stand on this matter? Amb. Shinn: I suspect there have been recent conversations in both Cairo and Addis Ababa concerning this subject, but I am not privy to them. During my time as ambassador to Ethiopia (1996-1999), I could elicit no interest whatsoever from the US government on Nile water issues. US relations at the time were especially strong with Egypt, but also good with Ethiopia. Washington had no interest in getting in the middle of this question and, in any event, there were no burning questions such as construction of the Renaissance Dam. I believe the US will strongly counsel all parties to avoid conflict in resolving differences and take action against whatever party might initiate conflict.

You may forward your comments at EthiopiaFirst@gmail.com Source for Photo: The Official Blog of Amb. David H. Shinn http://davidshinn.blogspot.com/ XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX June 11, 2013 From theTrumpet.com - By Andrew Miiller)

As the Arab Spring revealed, Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are masters at coopting democratic revolutions for Islamist causes. Will Ethiopia be the next nation to fall to this strategy? A startling new revelation has emerged about the recent anti-government protest in Ethiopia. In light of increasing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River rights, the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt has decided to cooperate with the Muslim Brotherhood government in Sudan to support Ethiopian radical Islamist leaders sitting in exile in Khartoum. These Egyptian-supported, Islamist leaders were largely responsible for prompting the 10,000strong, anti-government demonstrations that took place in Addis Ababa during the first days of June. This anti-government demonstration may have been officially organized by the secular Semayawi (Blue) Party and it may have attracted the support of many Christian youth, but the

majority of the 10,000 demonstrators were Muslims calling for increased religious freedom and the release of political prisoners. As the Egyptian Arab Spring revealed, Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are masters at co-opting democratic revolutions for Islamist causes. According to analyst George Copley of the International Strategic Studies Association, the Egyptian military knows that Egypt is not in a positioneven allied with neighboring Sudanto take direct military action against Ethiopia at this time. For this reason, the Morsi government has initiated a return to covert war against Ethiopia via Islamist proxies. Not coincidentally, a senior delegation of the Egyptian ministry of defense traveled to Somalia on June 4 to officially start talks on how Egypt can best help rebuild and train the Somali Armed Forces, with the intent to support a Somali move to assume control of the Republic of Somaliland to the countrys north. By ensuring that the Republic of Somaliland remains under the control of southern Somalia, Egypt also ensures that landlocked Ethiopia remains cut off from the economic opportunities presented by a Red Sea coastline. Egypt is advancing on several fronts to control the Nile by isolating Ethiopia: through Somalia; through Sudan; through Eritrea; and through sponsorship of Ethiopian Islamist and other opposition movements (e.g. the Oromo Liberation Front). As editor in chief Gerald Flurry said in a Key of David program last September, based on Daniel 11:42-43, Egypt is prophesied to help swing both Libya and Ethiopia into the Iranian-led, radical Islamic camp. Once these national reorientations are complete, Iran will then have the power to close down seaborne trade through the Red Sea and kick off a process that will lead to the last world war. While other scriptures, such as Psalm 68, foretell of a soon-coming time of peace and prosperity for Ethiopia (and the rest of the planet), the sad truth is that humanity is going to have to go through a time of intense suffering before it is willing to accept Gods rule on Earth. Be sure to read Libya and Ethiopia in Prophecy to see for yourself exactly how events will unfold in north Africa, and how they will ultimately lead to the establishment of peace throughout the world!

Source: http://www.thetrumpet.com/article/10705.18.0.0/middle-east/anti-governmentprotests-in-ethiopia-supported-by-egypt

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Chinese banks have expressed keen interest to further increase their involvement in infrastructure development and other investment activities in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has held consultations with officials of the banks in Beijing.

EXIM and Development banks of China have so far provided $6 billion and $1.6 billion respectively for Ethiopia in the form of grant and loan. Ethiopia has been undertaking massive infrastructural development projects that consume lots of finance. Only few countries including China have been financing those projects, says Sufian Ahmed, Minister of Finance and Economic Development. The EXIM Bank of China is currently financing the multibillion dollar Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway project while the Development Bank of China is supporting the construction of various sugar factories. During the discussions, Li Ruogu, Chairman and President of EXIM Bank of China, Li Ruogu, pledged continued support for Ethiopia. EXIM Bank of China is committed to being a genuine development partner of Ethiopia; we will support your endeavor to become competitive on the global market through infrastructural development, he said. Chairman of China Development Bank, Hu Huaibang for his part said the Bank has been operating with special emphasis on entrepreneurial skills and rural development. We are taking part in agricultural and sugar development as well as power generation activities in Ethiopia; only recently, we have invested $58 million on three projects in Ethiopia through the Africa Fund, he said. PM Hailemariam on the occasion called on the banks to strengthen support for Ethiopias endeavor to build a prosperous nation. source:http://www.waltainfo.com Additional Info XXXXXXXXXXXX

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