Thread by @althecat

My understanding is that at east two major contractors on the #GERD are European, German Generators and Italian as the construction lead.

https://twitter.com/breaking_bre/status/1448211451823497216

If Europe attempts to intervene in these contracts - on a renewable energy development project with the potential to lift 100s of millions out of extreme poverty - it will alienate not just Ethiopia but much of Africa and millions of Africa diaspora.

Unfortunately this sounds like exactly the sort of thing that the @EEAS_EU under High Representative @JosepBorrellF might think is a good idea.

A far better approach might me a sincere approach for reconciliation with the newly sworn Govt. of Ethiopia.

The degree of alienation and polarization in foreign policy around the internal Ethiopia TPLF Conflict threatens to derail the entire rules based international order.

Some deep circumspection is needed in the West urgently to avoid even greater catastrophe.

Talking with Egypt about resolving the GERD crisis before talking with Ethiopia is a huge mistake. Many in Ethiopia believe that Egypt is a significant military threat to Ethiopia, both Sudan and via dirty war insurgency support and/or support for the TPLF.

Stability of the entire region is already at stake. Raising the stakes by adding EU backing to Egypt’s illegitimate, colonial era demands wrt to the Nile, to the amoral diplomatic decisions on that front made by the US, is like lighting a fuse.

Europe and the United States need to come to understand the simple truth in this catastrophically mismanaged conflict, namely that the path to peace in Ethiopia is a strong peaceful Democratic prosperous independent Ethiopia.

An Ethiopia which will gladly be a friend and partner of the West - with which it has deep and long ties and affinity- once the dust settles, if it is treated with dignity and respect, and if it’s clearly understood rights at international law are respected.