Egyptian politicians have been caught live on Television broadcast planning to cause instability in Ethiopia in order to stop the Ethiopian government from building a proposed dam across the Blue Nile.

The Blue Nile is one of two major tributaries of the Egyptian Nile and Egypt consider the building of the dam by the Ethiopians as a threat that will reduce the water level of the Nile which they use in their irrigation and many other activities.

Local reporters in Ethiopia last week reported that Ethiopia has started diverting the flow of the Blue Nile in preparation for the building of the $4.2bn hydroelectric dam.

President Mohammed Morsi reportedly called for the meeting at the presidential palace in the capital Cairo with the politicians, to discuss how they can find alternative solution to sustain the Nile as a result of the Ethiopians building of the dam at the Blue Nile.

Apparently unaware they were being filmed live on Television, the politicians opted to sabotage Ethiopia’s plans of building the dam on the Nile River upstream.

The BBC Ahmed Maher in Cairo reported that as the politicians did not know that the meeting was being aired live by the state TV, they spoke their minds unreservedly.

Their suggestions centred on military action as a decisive response to what one of them called a “declaration of war”.

One of the politicians suggested sending Special Forces to destroy the dam; another thought of jet fighters to scare the Ethiopians; and a third called for Egypt to support rebel groups fighting the government in Addis Ababa in order to interrupt the building of the dam.

But President Mohammed Morsi reportedly did not agree to the suggestions of the politicians but said in concluding remarks that Egypt respects Ethiopia and its people and will not engage in any aggressive acts against the Ethiopian people.

Meanwhile, an aide to President Mohammed Morsi has apologized after admitting she failed to inform the politicians that the meeting was being aired live on State Television.

“Due to the importance of the topic, it was decided at the last minute to air the meeting live. I forgot to inform the participants about the changes,” Presidential aide for political affairs Pakinam el-Sharkawi said.

“I apologize for any embarrassment caused to the political leaders, I should have informed them in advance” she said on her Twitter page.

The African Union summit ended a forth night ago in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa which all African nations attended to discuss how the African unity can be achieved and strengthen ties among member states.

Many political analysts say they believe this could damage diplomatic relations between Egypt and Ethiopia and also a very bad news for the African Union for member state to sabotage the other.

Ethiopia’s decision to construct the dam challenges a colonial-era agreement that had given Egypt and Sudan rights to the Nile water, with Egypt taking 55.5 billion cubic metres and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic metres.

If the dam is completed, it will be a Grand Ethiopian Renaissance which would be Africa’s largest dam.

The dam is expected to produce 6,000 megawatts of power and its reservoir is scheduled to start filling next year.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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