Egypt hires $800000 DC lobby to shape Biden policy against Ethiopia

Finfinnee (Yeroo) — The Egyptian government has reportedly hired a powerful Washington DC lobbying team to shape US policy of the new President Joe Biden administration, most notably to oppose the Ethiopian hydroelectric dam. The lobby firm named Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck will allegedly receive nearly $800,000 for one year of service.

The pro-Egypt lobbyist team are led by former US congressman Ed Royce and Egyptian-American Nadeam Elshami, who was a former staff member of Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the US House of Representatives. 

Congressman Ed Royce was notably the Chairman of United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2019 before officially becoming Egyptian lobby in November 2020. 

During the previous Trump administration, Egypt was also able to successfully persuade the United States government to suspend 130 million in much needed aid to Ethiopia; while millions continue to need humanitarian aid, particularly after a rebellion in the northern state of Tigray triggered a new conflict. Meanwhile, Egypt has continued to receive over $1.3 Billion annual aid from the United States, including the latest American military aircraft and weaponry.

Since Climate Change is a top issue for the new Biden administration of the Democrat Party, the former US Congressman-turned-Egyptian Lobby has reportedly begun disseminating false accusations that the Ethiopian dam is a major threat to the environment, without providing credible evidence. According to the non-profit organization OnTheIssues.org, Congressman Ed Royce did not have a record of protecting the environment when he was in US government: as he repeatedly voted in favor of oil drilling and deregulation of greenhouse gas emissions inside the United States.

Recently, the Egyptian government of President El-Sisi has spoken in favor of the Sudanese military confrontation along the Ethiopian border. The Ethiopian government spokesman Dina Mufti said the fractured leadership in Sudan is being pressured by Cairo to escalate tensions and Ethiopia does not want war.

Ethiopia contributes 86% to the Nile however it uses 0 percent. Egypt uses 66%, Sudan 22% and 12% is lost to evaporation. Nearly 99% of the Egyptian population has electricity while only about 30% have electricity in Ethiopia.