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Tanzania’s Rufiji River: Egypt’s Response to Ethiopia’s Accusations

Egypt concludes construction work on Rufiji Dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Cabinet)
Egypt concludes construction work on Rufiji Dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Cabinet)
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Tanzania’s Rufiji River: Egypt’s Response to Ethiopia’s Accusations

Egypt concludes construction work on Rufiji Dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Cabinet)
Egypt concludes construction work on Rufiji Dam in Tanzania (Egyptian Cabinet)

Egypt has completed the construction work of a massive dam body it is building on the Rufiji River in Tanzania, in a move considered as a message addressed to Ethiopia,

Cairo also started preparations for retaining water to fill the reservoir of the giant Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP).

The construction project has the full support of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirmed that Sisi gave orders on maintaining high-level quality implementation as the project represents a dream for the people of Tanzania.

An Egyptian consortium made of Arab Contractors and El-Sewedy Electric celebrated finishing the construction of the main body of the Julius Nyere Dam on Rufiji.

The construction of the main dam lasted over 687 days since the diversion of the river on November 18, 2020, in the presence of senior officials of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited, owner of the project.

Tanzania is one of the 11 Nile Basin countries.

Building the dam comes as a response to the accusations Ethiopia leveled against Egypt for allegedly inhibiting development projects in the Basin.

“The project confirms Egypt’s cooperation with the Nile Basin countries, and refutes Ethiopia's accusations,” former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mahmmoud Abu Zeid told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Egypt only rejects the lack of coordination and projects that affect the course of the Nile,” Abu Zeid added.

According to the ex-minister, Egypt is keen on achieving integration through joint development projects.

Moreover, Egypt is looking to seize the opportunity found in annual rainfall that is wasted in most Nile Basin countries.

Egyptian Minister of Housing Assem al-Gazzar confirmed that with the completion of the construction of the main dam, the Egyptian consortium has begun preparing to start holding the waters of the Rufiji River behind the dam.

This is scheduled to last for about two months (according to flood forecasts for the current year).

According to Gazzar, three giant water drainage gates have been established on three levels in the body of the dam, which will control the provision of the minimum amount of water to maintain the riverine environment below the dam.

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Cohen Meeting Escalates Protests in Western Libya Against Unity Government

Pro-Dbeibah government forces intervening to disperse protesters in central Tripoli (AFP)
Pro-Dbeibah government forces intervening to disperse protesters in central Tripoli (AFP)
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Cohen Meeting Escalates Protests in Western Libya Against Unity Government

Pro-Dbeibah government forces intervening to disperse protesters in central Tripoli (AFP)
Pro-Dbeibah government forces intervening to disperse protesters in central Tripoli (AFP)

Protests have intensified in western Libya against the interim Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, following the revelation of a meeting between former Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush and then-Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome last year.

In response to the demonstrations, Dbeibah accused foreign nations of being “involved in conspiracies to divide the country” and alleged that domestic factions were “fueling the protests” that erupted in multiple cities across western Libya against his government.

While Dbeibah refrained from naming these local factions during a speech delivered on Friday at the conclusion of the Entrepreneurs Forum and General Gathering of Youth Hostel Members in Misrata, he accused them of “manipulating young people to create discord and drag Libya backward.” He stressed that these groups “only seek war, destruction, and corruption.”

Speaking of “real conspiracies to divide Libya,” Dbeibah pledged that the country would remain unified. He addressed the youth, saying: “You are the future. We need you to step forward and defend your nation. We will not accept a return to the logic of force after the February 17 Revolution, and we will not allow it.”

In eastern Libya, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, refrained from commenting on Dbeibah’s statements.

Saleh, however, emphasized that the solution to Libya’s political gridlock lies in holding “free and fair elections, with all sides committed to respecting the results.”

He pointed out that the House of Representatives had enacted electoral laws to facilitate this process and called for the formation of a unified government to steer Libya toward stability.

In remarks broadcast by his media office on Friday, Saleh asserted that he had “taken no actions aimed at excluding or marginalizing any party.” He pointed to the importance of national reconciliation for achieving peace and security and denied aligning with any external or international forces.

Saleh further urged support for the National Reconciliation Law as a vital step toward resolving disputes, stressing “the significance of the peaceful transfer of power.”

On Friday evening, protests erupted in Misrata, Dbeibah’s hometown, coinciding with his visit. Demonstrators expressed their rejection of what they perceived as normalization efforts with Israel and demanded Dbeibah’s resignation. In a statement, some Misrata residents condemned the meetings between his government and Israeli officials as a “grave betrayal.”