Somalia Defends Arab League After Ethiopian Criticism Over Nile Dam Dispute

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia has strongly defended the Arab League of Nations following criticism by the Ethiopian ambassador in Mogadishu, who accused the union of defending Egypt without material facts in the fight for the water flow in the Nile River.

Ethiopia has unveiled the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which will address power shortages in the region, but the construction was opposed by Egypt and Sudan, who maintain that the refilling of the dam will affect the downstream flow of the water.

Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Somalia’s defence minister, said the Arab League plays a key role in strengthening cooperation and safeguarding member states' sovereignty and territorial integrity. He acknowledged the support of the union in the state-building process in the country.

“Somalia is an integral member of the Arab League & is grateful for its unwavering support for Somalia & its state-building efforts. The League's main goal is to draw closer the relations between member states and coordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their sovereignty," he said.

Suleyman Dedefo, Ethiopian ambassador in Mogadishu, accused the Arab League of acting as an extension of Egypt’s foreign policy. Dedefo argued the bloc routinely rejects Ethiopia’s position on the Nile while ignoring humanitarian crises in Arab countries.

“Egypt’s efforts to obstruct Ethiopia’s progress have already failed,” he said in criticism of Cairo.

The US had tried to mediate the conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt, with Sudan also closely involved, but to date, there is no conclusive decision. On Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed led the ceremony at the Nile River, where GERD was officially unveiled.

The conflict could be battled in Somalia after Egypt agreed to deploy its troops in the AU mission to the Horn of Africa nation, with Ethiopia openly rejecting the move, claiming that it would derail the war against al-Shabaab. Egypt has already assessed the situation ahead of deployment.

GAROWE ONLINE