CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt’s water needs will surpass its resources by 2017 because its population, now around 76 million, is still increasing fast, the state-run news agency MENA said yesterday.
The agency cited a recent report by the cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Centre as saying the Arab world’s most populous country would need 86.2 billion cubic metres of water in 2017 while resources would be only 71.4 billion cubic metres. Egypt’s water resources stood at 64 billion cubic metres in 2006, of which the River Nile provided 55.5 billion cubic metres, or 86.7 percent, the report said. By 2017 the Nile is expected to supply only 80.5 percent of Egypt’s resources.
Egypt is heavily dependent on river water as it has little rainfall.
A 1929 agreement between Egypt and Britain, acting on behalf of its then east African colonies, gave Cairo the right to veto projects higher up the Nile that would affect its water share.
A 1959 accord between Egypt and Sudan, supplementing the previous agreement, gave Egypt the right to 55.5 billion cubic metres of Nile water a year.
The agreements have created resentment among other Nile states and calls for changes to the pact, resisted by Egypt.
Ministers from all 10 Nile basin countries are expected to meet in Egypt later in July to discuss water allocation issues.
Egypt’s Water Resources Ministry has said it aims to fight water poverty by tackling wasteful farming practices and looking for alternative sources such as desalination of sea water. Egypt’s water supply is equivalent to an allocation of 860 cubic metres per capita per year, well below the water poverty line of 1,000 cubic metres per capita a year.
Police in Khartoum began a crackdown on Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees in the past few days. The Amharic service’s Tizita Belachew interviewed leaders of the refugee community in Khartoum on Thursday and Friday who said the raids began on July 5 and each day since then truckloads of police and other Sudanese government security have raided the homes and business of Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees, confiscating the contents of their restaurants and homes and beating and raping women and children.
All refugees who spoke on the air did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals.
UNHCR protection officer in Khartoum Teresa Ongaro confirmed that there was a series of raids of “refugees and illegal workers over the weekend.” She said she has not heard any reports of police raping women and children.
“There are about 30 thousand refugees in Khartoum and about 100 thousand in Eastern Sudan bordering Eritrea. Many go to Khartoum to find a better life, but are exposed to ill treatment from time to time. She said UNHCR personnel and lawyers have interviewed 314 victims of the recent raid, and determined that 91 fit the UNHCR qualifications for refugees. She said these refugees were freed the next day. The refugees say more than 50 have already been deported.
We are currently working on a documentary titled The Market Maker and wanted you to be part of a live web discussion following the premiere of the film this week.
The film follows Eleni Gabre-Madhin, a charismatic Ethiopian economist who, in an effort to end hunger in her famine-plagued country, designs the country’s first commodities exchange, which she hopes will
revolutionalize an ancient market system whose inefficiencies have been partly responsible for the country’s persistent food shortages.
The film premieres on Wednesday, July 22 at 10:00 p.m., but broadcast times vary from region to region, so check your local listings for air times by clicking here:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/schedule/
As an additional feature to the film, we will be hosting a live web discussion, during which you can join in a conversation with Gabre-Madhin, Wide Angle host Aaron Brown, and the filmmakers, Eli Cane
and Hugo Berkeley.
The talk will be hosted live on Thursday 23rd July 11:00 am EST at www.pbs.org/wideangle
Given your dedicated interest in raising awareness about the region, we thought you’d be interested in being a part of this interactive chat.
The number you can call to participate live is (718) 506-1351.
We would love to have as many people involved in this discussion. And you can help us spread the word! If you would post the information about this chat, including the date, time, and call-in number, on your blog, we’d be most appreciative.
Please feel free to write or call with any questions:
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ENA) — The Federal Prosecutor has completed on Saturday presenting witnesses and evidences against 46 suspects indicted under Brigadier General Tefera Mamo et al Case, who were allegedly collaborated clandestinely with the Ginbot 7 group to undermine the constitutional order.
The Federal Prosecutor presented a total of 89 human witnesses, 1,556-page written documents as well as other evidences in the form of audio-video materials against the 46 suspects, including against 14 ones who were indicted in absentia, before the Second Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court.
The Federal Prosecutor reiterated that both the human witnesses as well as the evidences clearly proved that the suspects had been running clandestine operation in organized manner in order to undermine the constitutional order by sheer force. It also submitted a 53-page analysis of the Case to the Bench, which illustrates the Case of Brigadier General Tefera Mamo et.al in detail.
The Second Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court adjourned the Brigadier General Tefera Mamo et.al Case for 04 Aug. 2009 for verdict.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has been readmitted to world football after elections for a new leadership were held on Saturday.
A three-man delegation from world football’s governing body, Fifa, said that they were “satisfied with the result”.
In-fighting at the EFF led to Ethiopia being thrown out of the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations last July.
Sahlu Gebrewold Gebremariam was voted in as president of the EFF, replacing Dr Ashebir Woldegiorgis, who resigned in May.
Sahlu was the only candidate for president in Saturday’s elections for a new executive, as the two other contestants pulled out the previous day.
He said that his priority is to heal the rift in the game in the country and to “facilitate a renaissance in Ethiopian football”.
There was a mood of relief at the meeting, and loud clapping when the head of the Fifa delegation handed over a Fifa flag to the newly-elected president of the EFF.
ADDIS ABABA (ST) — Ethiopian authorities expelled at least 13 American and British nationals who had entered the horn of Africa’s nation on a tourist visa.
The tourists were expelled after local authorities caught them traveling in troubled eastern part of Ethiopia where the tourists were not allowed by government body to travel to, reliable sources indicated.
“They had a tourist visa but unlike other arrivals they were traveling to non-tourist sites on their own” reached by phone a government official on a condition of anonymity told Sudan tribune from Addis Ababa.
“No foreign visitor is allowed to travel as its wishes without the knowledge of government,” he said, adding “Such an attempt is off a tourist duty, irresponsible and could be dangerous.”
“Ethiopia can’t guarantee the safety of such travelers, but expel them back,” he concluded.
The official didn’t say if they were involved in local politics or if they are of Somali origin.
There is no a clear confirmation at this point on the specific area they traveled to, why and their numbers on separate citizen.
But there are some unconfirmed sources that the foreign tourists were caught up on travel to the volatile Ogaden region where government and ONLF rebels frequently battle.
A US diplomat in Addis Ababa, Kevin Oconer confirmed the incident but decline to give any further details.
The diplomat said that it is the US state department responsible for comments not Addis Embassy.
The Ogaden National liberation Front (ONLF) who seeks autonomy for the ethnically eastern Somali Ogaden region claimed in a statement released last week killing 80 Ethiopian soldiers. But Ethiopian communications Minister, Bereket Simon played it down saying the reverse is rather true.
Ethiopian forces launched an assault against the rebels after fighters of the On April, 2007 attack a Chinese-run oil field in Abole, Somali region, killing approximately 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese nationals.
