Worsening Conditions Bring Lebanese Back to the Streets

A man gestures as he takes part in a protest over Lebanon's economy and politics in Beirut, Lebanon December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A man gestures as he takes part in a protest over Lebanon's economy and politics in Beirut, Lebanon December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Worsening Conditions Bring Lebanese Back to the Streets

A man gestures as he takes part in a protest over Lebanon's economy and politics in Beirut, Lebanon December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A man gestures as he takes part in a protest over Lebanon's economy and politics in Beirut, Lebanon December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

The wave of demonstrations returned to a number of Lebanese regions, amid the persistent failure of the political class to form a new government and face the worsening economic crisis.

However, the popular movement’s vision for the next stage is still unclear.
 
The dynamism of the movement that started on October 17 has suffered more than a setback, which requires, according to one of the activists, “correcting its tracks.”

This would renew popular movements and put Lebanon on the path of confronting collapse with steady steps, according to the activist.
 
University Professor Dr. Walid Fakhreddin told Asharq Al-Awsat that the renewed demonstrations were not surprising given that the country is still in a state of alert.

“The expulsion of some officials from public places is an indicator, so are movements in front of official institutions and banks,” he said.
 
“The most important reason remains the deteriorating economic situation, with the crises of gas, diesel and electricity, the tightening of banks’ grip on depositor funds and the spread of unemployment, along with the delay in forming the government,” he underlined.
 
Fakhreddin does not rule out the influence of regional developments, noting that demonstrations in Baghdad helped motivate Lebanese protesters to regain some of the momentum that had been missed during the holidays and because of the stormy weather.
 
Another activist told Asharq Al-Awsat that protests have not stopped since October, although at a lower participation rate.

“This is because the Lebanese people see a glimmer of hope with the designation of Hassan Diab to form the new government,” he remarked.
 
But with the constant failure of the political class to form a government, the aggravation of the problems, increased banking restrictions on depositors, and the shortage of medicine, electricity and fuel, the Lebanese returned to the street over the past few days.
 
“Today, the Lebanese took to the streets with greater anger, after being disappointed by the grace period that they gave to the political class,” the activist said.



Egypt Says GERD Lacks Legally Binding Agreement

This grab taken from video shows Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. (AP Photo)
This grab taken from video shows Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. (AP Photo)
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Egypt Says GERD Lacks Legally Binding Agreement

This grab taken from video shows Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. (AP Photo)
This grab taken from video shows Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. (AP Photo)

Egypt said Friday that Ethiopia has consistently lacked the political will to reach a binding agreement on its now-complete dam, an issue that involves Nile River water rights and the interests of Egypt and Sudan.

Ethiopia’s prime minister said Thursday that the country’s power-generating dam, known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), on the Nile is now complete and that the government is “preparing for its official inauguration” in September.

Egypt has long opposed the construction of the dam, because it would reduce the country's share of Nile River waters, which it almost entirely relies on for agriculture and to serve its more than 100 million people.

The more than the $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile near the Sudan border began producing power in 2022. It’s expected to eventually produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity — double Ethiopia’s current output.

Ethiopia and Egypt have spent years trying to reach an agreement over the dam, which Ethiopia began building in 2011.

Both countries reached no deal despite negotiations over 13 years, and it remains unclear how much water Ethiopia will release downstream in case of a drought.

Egyptian officials, in a statement, called the completion of the dam “unlawful” and said that it violates international law, reflecting “an Ethiopian approach driven by an ideology that seeks to impose water hegemony” instead of equal partnership.

“Egypt firmly rejects Ethiopia’s continued policy of imposing a fait accompli through unilateral actions concerning the Nile River, which is an international shared watercourse,” Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said in a statement Friday.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in his address to lawmakers Thursday, said that his country “remains committed to ensuring that our growth does not come at the expense of our Egyptian and Sudanese brothers and sisters.”

“We believe in shared progress, shared energy, and shared water,” he said. “Prosperity for one should mean prosperity for all.”

However, the Egyptian water ministry said Friday that Ethiopian statements calling for continued negotiations “are merely superficial attempts to improve its image on the international stage.”

“Ethiopia’s positions, marked by evasion and retreat while pursuing unilateralism, are in clear contradiction with its declared willingness to negotiate,” the statement read.

However, Egypt is addressing its water needs by expanding agricultural wastewater treatment and improving irrigation systems, according to the ministry, while also bolstering cooperation with Nile Basin countries through backing development and water-related projects.