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Image from, under the headline: Negotiations over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam delayed (October 4, 2015)

Excerpt:

Ethio-Egyptian relations have generally been better since the ascendance of Abdul Fattah El-Sisi to the helm of stat power in Egypt. There have recently been frequent meetings between Ethiopian and Egyptian government officials. The latest of them was Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s meeting with the Egyptian President Abdul Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the 28th regular session of the AU summit. ...

Although the presence of some Egyptian officials with extreme stands on the GERD [Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam] cannot be denied, the reliance on diplomatic efforts instead of personal emotions is the clear difference between the current and previous governments. The open threats to arm opposition groups, use mercenaries to sabotage the construction of the dam and to destabilize Ethiopia have all made way to efforts towards promoting mutual benefits.

Public diplomacy efforts should also be made to show to the people of both countries that there is a long standing history of brotherhood between them and that the GERD would not harm the livelihood of Egyptians quite opposite to the widely held belief in Egypt. As has been the case with the team of journalists from the land of the Pharaohs, seeing is believing. Public diplomacy efforts should aim to show Egyptians the Ethiopian side of the argument and understand the situation accurately. ...