Video: Fears in Egypt over Ethiopia Nile dam agreement

By Mohamad Shalaby

The Egyptian presidency says the principles agreed upon include understandings on the Ethiopian dam's storage capacity, and the techniques of filling its main reservoir, and not the historical shared quotas of Nile waters.

Ethiopia, on its part, stressed that the Grand Renaissance hydroelectric Dam it is building is designed to generate electricity for economic development projects, and would not cause any harm to downstream countries, Egypt, and Sudan.

The three countries did emphasize that a final agreement would only be signed after studies on the dam's impact have been completed, in order to safeguard the parties' interests.

Observers who take the side of Egypt’s government have welcomed the cooperation deal.

But the Muslim Brotherhood, and their allies, say the declaration legitimizes Ethiopia's controversial dam, and allows the country to raise international funds for it, with Egypt getting nothing tangible in return, except for expressions of good will.

The opposition accuses president Abdulfattah al-Sisi of relinquishing Egypt's historical water rights, just to create personal alliances, and appease African union powers, with whom army-deposed president Morsi of the Brotherhood squabbled over the vital water issue.

Ethiopia has finished constructing at least 40 percent of the dam, which is expected to be fully completed in only two years time.

Egyptians are worried that the trilateral deal could make them lose a vital portion of the Nile waters, their main source of life for thousands of years. 

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