Temkin Sheref

OBJECTION TO AL-AHRAM AND TNT MEDIA: STOP DISTORTING ETHIOPIA’S POSITION ON SEA ACCESS AND THE NILE WATERS We strongly object to the misleading and distorted reporting by Egypt’s Al-Ahram and TNT media concerning the recent remarks of H.E. Eng. Dr. Habtamu Itefa, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, regarding Ethiopia’s legitimate quest for access to the sea and the management of the Nile waters. The alleged report that the Ethiopian Minister appealed to Egypt to assist Ethiopia in obtaining access to the Red Sea is a gross misrepresentation of his position. He neither requested Egyptian assistance nor suggested that Ethiopia’s sovereign interests and legitimate maritime aspirations depend on Cairo’s approval or goodwill. The Minister’s message was fundamentally different:- Egypt should stop obstructing Ethiopia’s legitimate pursuit of maritime access and recognize that constructive regional cooperation, including an understanding on the Nile waters, requires mutual respect for the legitimate interests and rights of all countries in the region. There is a fundamental difference between asking Egypt for assistance and warning Egypt against continuously interfering in Ethiopia’s legitimate national interests. Deliberately confusing these two positions is not expected from responsible journalism; it is a distortion of the facts. Let us make Ethiopia’s position absolutely clear: 1. Ethiopia does not need Egypt’s permission to pursue legitimate access to the sea. Maritime access is a strategic national interest for a country of more than 130 million population, and Ethiopia has every legitimate reason to seek a peaceful, negotiated and mutually beneficial solution. 2. Ethiopia’s maritime aspirations are not a bargaining chip in Nile negotiations. The Nile is a shared international watercourse, and its sustainable management requires cooperation, equitable and reasonable utilization, and recognition of the legitimate interests of all riparian countries. These matters must not be made conditional upon unrelated geopolitical concessions. 3. Egypt must abandon its hostile policy of treating Ethiopia’s legitimate development and strategic interests as threats to its national security. No country can reasonably demand that its own security and interests be respected while disregarding those of its neighbours. 4. Ethiopia will not surrender its legitimate national interests to external pressure or political intimidation. Its quest for maritime access is neither directed against Egypt nor intended to undermine the sovereignty of any other state. Ethiopia seeks a peaceful, negotiated and mutually beneficial arrangement. Unfortunately, this reporting fits a recurring pattern in sections of the Egyptian media that portrays Ethiopia’s legitimate national aspirations as hostile intentions. Such narratives contribute nothing to mutual understanding, regional stability or the building of confidence among the peoples of the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin. It is equally important to remember that Ethiopia’s historical experience with colonialism and foreign interference has made its people particularly sensitive to attempts to constrain their sovereignty and strategic choices. Ethiopia has the right to determine its own future without external intimidation or political manipulation. Countries like Egypt, with colonial mindset and mission to weaken Ethiopia’s economy by denying its legitimate right to have access to the sea must be warned of the consequences it will cause. Our objection is therefore not merely about an inaccurate quotation. It is about the deliberate or reckless distortion of Ethiopia’s national position and the attempt to manufacture an undiplomatic narrative that the Ethiopian Minister never advanced.