Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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DONALD TRUMP trolled on social media for his GERD comment

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PM OFFICE: Ethiopia will not cave-in to aggressions of any kind

PM OFFICE: Ethiopia is rich with history and its patriotic citizen’s commitment to defend their country’s sovereignty is unparalleled

MoFA: Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew summoned US Ambassador Mike Raynor to seek clarifications on the remarks by the US President

REPORTS: US prosecutors investigating millions of dollars flowing through an Egyptian state-owned bank that backed Donald Trump campaign

After US President Donald Trump on Friday voiced anger at Ethiopia over its construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Abbay River and appeared to suggest that Egypt may destroy it, Ethiopians all over the world ridiculed and trashed his comments in unison in different social media.

“Ethiopia will prevail, We are sons & daughters of patriots,” one tweet says. “Ethiopia will not flinch to bullying,” another continues, “It was, It is, It will be my DAM!!”

“Yehe defar, demo B’abay” another Amharic social media user blasts. “You know what you and the dam have in common? You both won’t be blown!” another wrote.

Some also goes to call for Ethiopians to contribute to the dam, “Let’s Buy Bonds and Text A to 8100.”

Others warn the Trump Administration. “When it comes to GERD, Ethiopians do not need lecture from anybody. Ethiopians have paid their money to get the dam to where it is. No foreign pressure will stop it. Trump administration hands off Ethiopia.”

Trump made the remarks as he announced a breakthrough normalization deal between US ally Israel and Sudan.

“It’s a very dangerous situation because Egypt is not going to be able to live that way,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office with leaders of Sudan and Israel on speakerphone. “They’ll end up blowing up the dam. And I said it and I say it loud and clear — they’ll blow up that dam. And they have to do something,” Trump said. “They should have stopped it long before it started,” Trump said, regretting that Egypt was in domestic tumult when the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project began in 2011.

After these remarks the Prime Minister’s Office released a strong statement saying that Ethiopia will not cave-in to aggressions of any kind.

“Ethiopian’s aspiration and commitment for development is best demonstrated through the unanimous support and contribution to the construction of the GERD. From the very inception, GERD has been an attempt to answer what has been our generation’s quest for an equitable and reasonable utilization of the Abbay and other rivers contributing to Nile from Ethiopia. About 85% of the Nile originates from Ethiopia,” the statement reads.

“It is an inflection point where a nation and its proud people stopped lamenting the past and toiled to achieve what once seemed impossible. In this regard, a great milestone was reached last August 2020 when the first phase of the water filling was completed before the end of Ethiopia’s winter season.”

The statement further reads that parallel to the construction work Ethiopia express commitment for cooperation on mutual trust. “Nonetheless, occasional statements of belligerent threats to have Ethiopia succumb to unfair terms still abound. These threats and affronts to Ethiopian sovereignty are misguided, unproductive, and are clear violations of international law.”

“As a developing nation, Ethiopia may be confronted with poverty but are rich with history, patriotic citizens whose commitment to defend their country’s sovereignty is unparalleled and an ambition and a well-articulated plan for prosperity. Ethiopia will not cave-in to aggressions of any kind, nor do we give recognition to a right that is entirely based on colonial treaties,” the statement blasts the Trump Administration.

Trump — a close ally of Egypt’s general turned president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — had agreed to Cairo’s plea to mediate over the dam, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin leading talks.

Recent reports also indicate that for more than three years, federal prosecutors investigated whether money flowing through an Egyptian state-owned bank could have backed millions of dollars Donald Trump donated to his own campaign days before he won the 2016 election.

The investigation, which both predated and outlasted special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, examined whether there was an illegal foreign campaign contribution. It represents one of the most prolonged efforts by federal investigators to understand the President’s foreign financial ties, and became a significant but hidden part of the special counsel’s pursuits.

The State Department in September said it was cutting off aid to Ethiopia due to its decision to begin filling the dam despite not reaching an agreement with the downstream nations.

“I had a deal done for them and then unfortunately Ethiopia broke the deal, which they should not have done. That was a big mistake,” Trump said.

“They will never see that money unless they adhere to that agreement,” he said.

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok, asked by Trump on speakerphone about the dam, voiced appreciation for US diplomacy and said his government wanted an “amicable solution soon” among the three countries.

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