From the Egyptian People to Mr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia
The bonds between peoples and countries are governed by common interests, common history, and the principle of not causing harm to another party, so we send this letter to you from the Egyptian people to demonstrate the facts. The Nile River connects our two countries with all the countries within the great river’s course, with historical ties that extend for thousands of years. Our two countries ruled by good neighborliness and cooperation aimed at the benefit of Ethiopia and Egyps and their peoples.
Accordingly, the Egyptian people reject all the agreements signed by the Ethiopian government with Egypt’s tyrannical general, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and consider these agreements null and void because they are contrary to the Egyptian Constitution under the following articles:
Article 1
The Arab Republic of Egypt is a sovereign state, united and indivisible, where nothing is dispensable, and its system is democratic republic based on citizenship and the rule of law.Egypt is part of the Arab nation and enhances its integration and unity. It is part of the Muslim world, belongs to the African continent, is proud of its Asian dimension, and contributes to building human civilization.
Article 44. The Nile
The state commits to protecting the Nile River, maintaining Egypt’s historic rights thereto, rationalizing and maximizing its benefits, not wasting its water or polluting it. The state commits to protecting its groundwater, to adopting methods appropriate to achieve water safety, and to supporting scientific research in this field.Every citizen has the right to enjoy the Nile River. It is prohibited to encroach upon it or to harm the river environment. The state guarantees to remove encroachments thereon. The foregoing is regulated by law.
Article 45
The State shall protect its seas, shores, lakes, waterways, and natural protectorates. Trespassing, polluting or misusing any of them is prohibited. Every citizen is guaranteed the right to enjoy them. The State shall protect and develop the green space in the urban areas; preserve plant, animal and fish resources and protect those under the threat of extinction or danger; guarantee humane treatment of animals, all according to the law.
Article 151
The President of the Republic shall represent the State in its foreign relations and conclude treaties and ratify them after the approval of the House of Representatives. Such treaties shall acquire the force of law following their publication in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.Voters must be called for referendum on the treaties related to making peace and alliance, and those related to the rights of sovereignty. Such treaties shall only be ratified after the announcement of their approval in the referendum. In all cases, no treaty may be concluded which is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or which results in ceding any part of state territories.
Based on the preceding constitutional provisions, the Egyptian people declare that all agreements, including the Declaration of Principles Agreement (called the Renaissance Dam Document, which your Government signed with Egypt and Sudan), are null and void under the Egyptian Constitution. The Egyptian people have never and will never give up their stolen rights to the waters of the Nile River, which is the lifeblood of Egypt, and will strive to recover their legitimate rights by all means once a just democratic government is established in Egypt.
All Historical Agreements Prove Egypt’s Right to the Waters of the Nile River, Namely:
The 1891 agreement between Britain and Italy, the 1902 agreement between Britain (on behalf of Egypt and Sudan with Ethiopia), and the 1929 agreement between Britain and a number of Nile Basin countries, prove that Egypt’s historical right to the Nile water includes the recognition of the basin countries of Egypt’s share of the Nile water. The right of objection is limited to the event that these countries establish projects on the branches of the Nile that Egypt may see as threatening its water security., The 1959 agreement is considered a continuation of the 1929 agreement, and took place after Sudan’s independence from Britain, in which the water shares were distributed between the two countries, amounting to 84 billion cubic meters, of which 55 billion and 500 million cubic meters were allocated to Egypt, and 18 billion and 500 million cubic meters to Sudan, but the eight upstream countries rejected the agreement and considered it unfair.
The Renaissance Dam represents an existential threat to Egypt. If these practices continue in parallel with a prolonged drought, more than one million and one hundred thousand people may leave the labor market, lose nearly 15 percent of Egypt’s agricultural area, and double Egypt’s food import bill. The agriculture sector is the source of livelihood for more than 50 percent of the population, and Egypt has a water deficit of up to 55 percent of its needs. Egypt uses water for hydroponics amounting to 120 billion cubic meters.
A legal committee, comprised of the main signatories to this letter, will prepare files of the various cases to be established when the time comes. Through an international legal office, the committee will prove each claim anddemand the return of those resources and assets to the people of Egypt. In accordance with the theory of emergency, force majeure, or exceptional circumstances, the Egyptian people have the right to object to any contract that affects Egypt’s land, resources or national security.
Choose the right path on the side of truth, justice, and goodness, not on the side of those who will be thrown to the trash by history. The Egyptian people may get sick, but they don’t die.